Swedish seismologists detected explosions in the area near the Nord Stream gas pipelines
A seismograph reading on the Danish island of Bornholm shows two peaks, at 0003 and 1700 GMT, followed by a lower level “whistle” on the day that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic pipelines leaked one following another. in this image posted on September 27. (Photo: German Georesearch Center/Archyde.com)
The Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) said on Tuesday that it detected two explosions on Monday near the Nord Stream pipeline area.
The first explosion was recorded at 2:03 in the morning, local time, and the second 17 hours later, at 7:04 in the followingnoon of this same Monday, according to SNSN.
The SNSN said one of the underwater explosions triggered a 2.3-magnitude tremor.
According to the SNSN, the last time a similar seismological event was recorded in the area was in 2016. It added that this area is not usually used for defense exercises.
The German geological research center GFZ told CNN that two tremors were recorded at similar times at a seismic station on the Danish island of Bornholm, once more near reported leaks in oil pipelines.
Josef Zens, a spokesman for the GFZ, told CNN that the first tremor struck at 2:03 a.m. local time, and the second struck 17 hours later.
Zens said that “it might not be said if there was any connection between the tremors and the leaks registered in the Nord Stream pipelines on Tuesday.”
Sweden’s National Seismic Network said warnings regarding gas leaks came from the maritime administration at 1:52 p.m. and 8:41 p.m. Monday, respectively, following ships detected bubbles on the surface.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Swedish Maritime Authority told CNN that three leaks had been identified in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Bornholm, warning ships to keep a distance of 5 miles (8 kilometers) from leaks. leaks and issuing a warning to aircraft, with a safety altitude of 1,000 meters.
The Danish Defense Command said in a statement on Tuesday that “following the three gas leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, prohibition zones have been established around the leaks in the interests of maritime and air traffic safety.” .
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipelines, in security documents published before the three gas leaks in one day became known, had said that the probability of a pipeline failure or leak is “so low like one damage every 100,000 years.
The operator also said that “repairs to the pipeline are not expected to be necessary during Nord Stream’s minimum operational life of 50 years.”
Nord Stream 1 became operational in 2012, and Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021, but never became operational.