Mechanical force causes Balticconnector pipeline damage, not explosion

Police said on Wednesday that the damage to the gas pipeline known as Balticconnector was not caused by an explosion but by mechanical force, reported Xinhua.

Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi from the National Bureau of Investigation told journalists that an "external force" had impacted the pipeline.

Early last Sunday, the pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia was shut on concerns of a rapid pressure drop, which indicated a leak.

"When we found the location of the leak, it was clear that the damage had been caused by external force," said Mikko Simola, head of the Maritime Security Department at the Finnish Border Guard.

Officials said that Finland will only publish photos taken of the affected seabed area when the ongoing criminal investigation allows it.

On Tuesday morning, the exact location of the leak was identified in Finland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday that the damage was likely caused by "external activity."