Several injured in major gas pipeline explosion outside Vienna

Austria police said the gas pipeline hub at Baumgarten an der March, east of Vienna, exploded at around 8:45 a.m. local time (0745 UTC) on Tuesday morning and was quickly followed by a fire.

One person died in the blast while a further 18 were injured, one seriously, according to officials.

Authorities said the explosion was triggered by a "technical cause," without providing further detail. 

Lower Austria police issued a brief statement on Twitter, saying the situation was under control. Several fire brigades were called to fight the flames while rescue workers served the injured. A total of around 240 emergency workers and several air ambulances were called in to the Baumgarten hub to help. People have been told to avoid the area.

Located near Austria's eastern border with Slovakia, the Baumgarten gas hub is one of Europe's largest and most important distribution points for natural gas from Russia, Norway and other states. It handles some 40 billion cubic meters per year, redistributing it around Europe including to Germany and northern Italy.

Gas prices soar

According to the site's operator Gas Connect, the blast should have no bearing on the supply of natural gas to Germany, although there may be a reduction in supply to Italy and the Balkan states. The pipelines remains temporarily shut down having sustained "major" material damage, according to Gas Connect spokesman Armin Teichert.

News of a tightening supply of gas caused prices in Europa to soar. According to the Reuters news agency, the Italian wholesale day-ahead supply of natural gas rose 87 percent to €44.50 per megawatt-hour (MWh). UK gas for immediate delivery soared to 90 pence (€1) per therm, or around €34 per MWh.

The export arm of Russian energy giant Gazprom said it was working to redirect gas flows to souther Europe and to avoid any interruptions in the supply.

The extreme heat released by the pipeline blast caused several nearby cars to melt.

dm/jm (Reuters, AP)