A gas pipeline exploded in Syria on Wednesday, knocking three power plants offline and igniting a large fire, according to the state-run news agency SANA. The Syrian Electricity Company said the Deir Ali, al-Nasiriyah, and Tishreen power plants were forced out of service due to inadequate gas supplies following the blast in Eastern Ghouta, an area in the Damascus countryside.

The fire is still raging, and authorities have yet to determine the cause of the explosion. The Syrian Electricity Company stated that specialised teams are working to resolve the situation. It warned that the shutdown of the three plants would increase power rationing hours due to dwindling electricity supplies, further straining the country's already fragile energy infrastructure.

This is not an isolated incident. Prior to Wednesday's blast, Syria's gas network had already been hit by two explosions in the past six weeks. The Syrian Petroleum Company claimed both incidents were the result of sabotage. No group has claimed responsibility for any of the explosions, and the perpetrators remain unidentified.

The explosions come amid growing public discontent over rising energy costs. Two weeks ago, protests erupted across the country in response to the government's decision to increase diesel prices by as much as 40 percent and petrol prices by 28 percent. The government claimed the increases were temporary and attributed them to a sharp rise in global energy costs, but many Syrians are skeptical.

The repeated attacks on the gas network and the resulting power shortages are exacerbating the humanitarian and economic crisis in Syria. With no claims of responsibility, the situation remains volatile, and the government's ability to restore and maintain critical infrastructure is increasingly in question.

Source: www.aljazeera.com