Vienna Warsaw London — An explosion at a key European natural gas hub in Austria caused severe damage and injuries, roiling markets across the continent. The incident occurred at Gas Connect Austria’s hub in Baumgarten shortly before 9am local time, according to a spokesman. The company, which is 51% owned by OMV, does not yet know what caused the blast. "There is severe damage at the station," Gas Connect Austria’s Armin Teichert said. One worker at the plant is missing and presumed to be dead. Another 18 were injured, one of them severely, he said. The Baumgarten gas hub about 50km northeast of Vienna is a key link for Russian natural gas entering Europe. It receives about 40-billion cubic metres of gas annually and redistributes it elsewhere in Europe including to Germany and northern Italy. In 2014, OMV signed a deal with Gazprom to strengthen Baumgarten’s long-term role in European energy markets. The explosion disrupted southern gas flows towards Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.