A gas pipeline explosion near the Tishreen Thermal Power Plant in Syria’s Damascus countryside has triggered a major fire and knocked three power plants offline, putting further pressure on the country’s already strained electricity supply. The Syrian Electricity Company said the blast disrupted gas supplies to the Tishreen, Deir Ali and Nasiriyah power plants, reducing available generation capacity and warning that scheduled power rationing would increase. The explosion occurred in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, with emergency and specialized teams working to contain the resulting fire. Authorities have not immediately established the cause of the latest blast, while the incident comes just days after another gas pipeline fire in eastern Syria that Syrian officials described as sabotage. No group has claimed responsibility for either incident. WATCH

A gas pipeline explosion near the Tishreen Thermal Power Plant in Syria’s Damascus countryside has triggered a major fire and knocked three power plants offline, putting further pressure on the country’s already strained electricity supply. The Syrian Electricity Company said the blast disrupted gas supplies to the Tishreen, Deir Ali and Nasiriyah power plants, reducing available generation capacity and warning that scheduled power rationing would increase. The explosion occurred in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, with emergency and specialized teams working to contain the resulting fire. Authorities have not immediately established the cause of the latest blast, while the incident comes just days after another gas pipeline fire in eastern Syria that Syrian officials described as sabotage. No group has claimed responsibility for either incident. WATCH