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Gas pipeline explosion near Damascus takes three Syrian power plants offline

A gas pipeline exploded on 30 September near the Tishreen power station in the Damascus countryside. The Syrian Electricity Company says three power plants are offline and power cuts will lengthen; the cause is unknown.

3 outlets · 1L · 1C · 1R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 3). Rewritten with the latest reporting.

Image: Anadolu Agency
Image: Al Jazeera
Image: Arab News

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

A gas pipeline exploded on Wednesday 30 September near the Tishreen power station in the Damascus countryside. Anadolu Agency, citing Alikhbariah TV, reported a loud blast in Eastern Ghouta. Arab News placed the blast in the Harran Al-Awamid area, near Damascus International Airport.

The Syrian Electricity Company said the loss of gas supplies put the Deir Ali, Nasiriyah and Tishreen power plants out of service. The company warned that scheduled power cuts would last longer as a result. A fire was still burning and specialised teams were responding, with no estimate of when the plants might restart.

The cause has not been identified, and no one has claimed responsibility. Al Jazeera said Syria's gas network was hit by two explosions in the previous six weeks, which the Syrian Petroleum Company attributed to sabotage. Al Jazeera also linked the story to energy-cost protests two weeks earlier, after the government raised diesel prices by as much as 40 percent and petrol by 28 percent.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Fullest account: the outage set in the context of earlier pipeline sabotage and fuel-price protests.
Emphasis
Previous explosions, sabotage attribution, unclaimed attacks, protests over energy costs.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not name Harran Al-Awamid or note the lack of a restart estimate.
Charged language
“knocks three power plants offline”
For example
“Syrians have complained about rising energy costs in recent months, with protests breaking out across the country two weeks ago as a result.” — Al Jazeera

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Brief breaking item relaying a TV report of the blast.
Emphasis
Location and the pipeline explosion near the power station.
Leaves out or plays down
Outage, power cuts, fire and context reported by the others.
For example
“No further details were available.” — Anadolu Agency

Right1 outlet

Framing
Outage-focused report relaying the electricity company statement and noting what officials have not said.
Emphasis
Three plants offline, longer cuts, ongoing fire, lack of restoration estimate.
Leaves out or plays down
Omits the earlier explosions, sabotage claims and protests.
For example
“The company did not say how many additional hours of outages were expected, which areas would be affected or how long the disruption could last.” — Arab News