A gigantic explosion in the Caspian Sea, off Azerbaijan
The explosion took place off Azerbaijan, in the Caspian Sea, Sunday, July 4, 2021. Gavriil Grigorov / TASS - Gavriil Grigorov
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A gigantic explosion took place on Sunday evening off Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijani authorities believe it to be a volcanic eruption but doubts remain as to the real cause of the incident.
An investigation has been opened.
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With our correspondent in the region
,
Paul Gogo
A huge flash of fire broke the horizon on Sunday evening in
Azerbaijan
.
The scene was filmed by sailors in the Caspian Sea.
The reasons for this explosion have not yet been determined but it would be, according to the first observations, a natural phenomenon.
More precisely, it would be a mud volcano, an eruption of a mixture of mud and flammable gas, which would be responsible for this explosion.
It is a little known facet of this region but it abounds, on land and at sea, of this kind of volcanoes.
The fire almost extinguished
But the Caspian Sea is also known for its gas.
Local authorities feared on Sunday evening that a gas field could have been hit.
The closest, operated by Azerbaijani oil and gas giant Socar, is located just 10 kilometers from the explosion.
The company ensures that no platform was affected by this explosion.
But the Russian press quotes sources assuring that a fire would have broken out on one of the company's gas platforms a few minutes after the incident.
Socar sent a ship to the site of the initial eruption to investigate the reasons for the explosion.
Monday at midday, the fire of the volcano was almost extinguished.
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