Firefighters in Qalyubiya, north of Cairo, succeeded in controlling a fire that broke out in the Mostorod-Alexandria gas pipeline on Monday.
State run news service MENA said the blast occurred when thieves opened the valve, thinking they would find diesel fuel to steal, which led to a fire injuring two people.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the flames rose more than 15 meters in the air, spread to a nearby citrus garden, and burnt two houses to the ground.
The agency also said that 20 fire engines fought the blaze. The pipeline is transferring raw material from Alexandria to refining laboratories near Mostorod.
“We have temporarily disconnected the line,” Hani Dahy, chairman of the General Petroleum Authority, told the Sada al-Balad news website, warning of a shortage of butane gas cylinders due to the explosion. “This line is a main supply source.”
