Gas Pipeline Explosion Near Damascus Shuts Down Three Power Plants, Syria Begins Restoring Deir Ali Facility

A gas pipeline explosion near the Tishreen power plant in Damascus Countryside on the evening of September 30, 2026, forced three major power stations offline and sparked a massive fire, according to the Syrian Electricity Company and state media SANA. The blast occurred at a pressure-reduction station serving the Tishreen plant, cutting gas supplies needed to operate the Deir Ali, Nasiriyah and Tishreen plants. Two people were injured. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said on October 1 that authorities have begun gradually restoring gas supplies to the Deir Ali plant but have not yet determined whether the incident resulted from a technical malfunction, deliberate attack or sabotage. The explosion came two days after another pipeline blast in eastern Syria that authorities attributed to sabotage by Islamic State affiliates, which killed one person and wounded thirty-six.

The Syrian Electricity Company warned that the simultaneous shutdown would reduce overall generation capacity and force longer power-rationing periods across the Damascus region, though it gave no timeline for full restoration. Civil Defense teams were conducting cooling operations before specialists could enter the site to assess damage and determine the cause.

Sources

Arab News Pakistan, "Syria says gas pipeline blast near Damascus forces 3 power plants offline," October 1, 2026, arabnews.pk Al Arabiya English, "Three Syrian power plants out of service after gas pipeline explosion: Media," October 1, 2026, english.alarabiya.net SANA, "Syria begins restoring power plants after Damascus Countryside gas pipeline blast," October 1, 2026, sana.sy The Manila Times, "Blast at Syrian gas pipeline, power stations hit," October 1, 2026, manilatimes.net