A gas pipeline explosion in Syria's Damascus countryside on Wednesday knocked three power plants out of service, putting renewed strain on electricity supplies in the capital and surrounding areas, and dealing another blow to residents and the economy.
The Deir Ali, Nasiriyah and Tishreen power plants were taken offline on that day after the explosion on a gas pipeline supplying the Tishreen thermal power plant in the eastern countryside of Damascus, the Syrian Electricity Company said.
The Deir Ali and Nasiriyah stations came back into service after supplies were restored, yet Tishreen remained out of operation due to damage to its equipment, with inspection and maintenance work still under way.
"The gas pipeline was blown up and the power lines went down, and this directly affects the Syrian economy and the livelihood of citizens. The first impact, of course, is that fuel enters every aspect of people's lives, whether through direct consumption or indirectly through transportation and the materials used in manufacturing. The second impact falls on the government, which now faces another challenge: protecting gas, oil and energy pipelines, or turning to alternatives, both of which are costly," said Yahya Rakaj, an academic and expert in economic affairs.
"Adding to, or rather compounding, this challenge is that investment has so far been slow to enter Syria, and secondly, financial transfers to Syria have yet to be facilitated, leaving the government unable to act quickly except in the medium or short term. But the biggest challenge, beyond higher prices for citizens, is the government's task of rebuilding and restoring infrastructure, because rebuilding infrastructure will be among the priorities," he said.
As technical teams work to assess the damage and restore what was affected, the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
"I saw a light appear from beneath the moon. I was surprised and thought it was a lunar eclipse. When I looked, it turned out to be the gas pipeline in Deir Ali that had been targeted. As for electricity, it is available, but with long rationing," said Abu Mohammed, a resident.
