The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy has reported that an accident occurred in the area of the gas transfer pipeline linking Bulgaria and Greece near Kulata. No people were injured. Emergency crews and firefighters were sent to the place.

The incident happened just before 8 am this morning, causing a breach in the integrity of the pipeline 200 meters before a valve near Kulata. The section has been isolated and all necessary actions have been taken in order to carry out emergency repairs and resume the transfer of natural gas to Greece. The announcement specifies that the accident does not concern the route of the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector. 

Teams of Bulgartransgaz have started the replacement of 30 metres of outdated pipes. There is no air pollution in the area of the incident, only shrubbery covered in mud but all vegetation will recover quickly, Bulgaria's Minister of Environment Emil Dimitrov said at the place of the incident near the Kulata-Promachonas border checkpoint.