A major gas leak has occurred on the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline following renovation work near the Zin nature reserve.
Nature and Parks Authority director Eli Amitai has called all professional teams to the scene. It is estimated that the reservation has been exposed to dozens of cubes of jet fuel. The Ma'aleh Zin area has been sealed off.
"This is a very serious incident," Amitai said. "We are preparing to provide the best care to minimize the damage."
Nahal Zin reservoir. 'Grave ecological damage' (Photo: Galit Kosovsky)
Raviv Shapira, southern director at the Nature and Parks Authority estimated that the leak has caused serious ecological damage to the nature reserve and the wadi.
"The leak was caused after heavy machinery performing infrastructure work hit the gas pipe," he said. "The work was done on the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company's responsibility and the damage caused a large amount of fuel to leak. It has already reached the wadi."
He noted that EAPC staff have stopped the leak but that heavy damage has been caused.
Another Authority official noted that the work performed on the pipeline was in fact meant to prevent such leaks.