The Kanbauk to Myaing Kalay gas pipeline burst on February 18th. According to local sources, the pipeline had been leaking for months. The gas did not ignite and no one was injured, but a thundering rush of gas was released for one hour.

At 9 pm on February 18th, the gas pipeline burst in between Lamine Town and Hnitkayin village in Lamine Sub Township, Mon State.

“We heard the sound of an explosion at 9 in the night,” said a woman from Lamine Town. “I thought it was a bomb explosion. After that, we heard a sound like thunder for about 1 hour. The sound disappeared at 10 o’clock.” The explosion occurred about 60 feet from the nearby Ye to Moulmein railway line and a local cart path.

According to another villager, the pipeline had been leaking since at least the 2008 rainy season. The section of pipeline that exploded becomes submerged during rains, said the source, who described seeing bubbles rising from the pipe to the surface of the water.

A resident of nearby Kawdood village agreed. “The gas that exploded this time was the gas that was leaking since the rainy season,” said the Kawdood resident. “Nobody repaired the pipe even though the rainy season finished. That’s why the pipe could not stay any longer. That’s why it exploded.”

The woman in Lamine Town also agreed, and described the worry felt by local residents who feared a large explosion. “We have been afraid since the rainy season,” she said. “But the explosion was a little far from the village, so this time we did not have to worry as much.”

The Kanbauk to Myaing kalay pipeline brings gas from off the coast of Tenasserim Division to factories in Myaing kalay, Karen State as well as electricity generation projects. Government officials often blame frequent accidents on armed rebels, but area residents say the accidents are due to poor quality joints linking sections of the pipeline.