Europe’s gas flows again after deadly Austrian blast

Gas flowed again through one of Europe’s key channels on Wednesday, after a deadly blast at an Austria distribution hub disrupted delivery a day earlier.

“All transit systems in all directions are working and in operation,’’ operator Gas Connect said.

An explosion at a site in Austria near the Slovakian border killed one worker and disrupted the continent’s gas supply system on Tuesday.

Report says the facility distributes gas from Russia and Norway to other parts of Europe such as Italy, Hungary and Germany.

According to Gas Connect, a subsidiary of Austrian energy company OMV, supplies were flowing at the same rate as before the accident.

The operator had yet to determine the cause of the explosion, which injured 21 people, but is working under the premise that it was the result of a technical fault.

The hub in Baumgarten in March handles 40 billion cubic metres of gas per year, about 10 per cent of Europe’s gas supply.