Pristina, Kosovo (Reuters) – An explosion on Friday night broken a canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to 2 coal-fired energy vegetation that generate almost the entire nation’s electrical energy, Prime Minister Albin Kurti mentioned, blaming what he referred to as “a terrorist act” by neighbouring Serbia.
There had been no fast studies of accidents and the reason for the blast, which additionally impacted consuming water provides, was not clear. Serbian officers didn’t reply to requests for remark, and Reuters discovered no fast proof of Belgrade’s involvement.
“This is a legal and terrorist assault with the goal to destroy our essential infrastructure,” Kurti mentioned in a televised deal with. He mentioned that a number of the nation might be with out energy if the issue will not be mounted by morning.
In an indication of ethnic tensions between the 2 Balkan nations, Kurti echoed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani by blaming Serbian legal gangs with out offering proof.
Earlier on Friday, Kosovo police introduced elevated safety measures after two current assaults the place hand grenades had been hurled at a police station and municipal constructing in northern Kosovo the place ethnic Serbians stay. It was not clear if the incidents had been linked.
Local media confirmed photos of a part of the canal destroyed and leaking water and a heavy police presence on the website.
Faruk Mujka, the pinnacle of water firm Ibar-Lepenci, informed native information portal Kallxo that an explosive gadget was thrown into the canal and broken the wall of a bridge.
He mentioned the water provide, which additionally feeds consuming water to the capital Pristina, have to be halted to repair the issue as quickly as doable because it was the principle channel for supplying Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK), the nation’s most important energy supplier.
Independence for ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo got here in 2008, virtually a decade after a guerrilla rebellion in opposition to Serbian rule. However tensions persist, primarily within the north the place the Serb minority refuses to recognise Kosovo’s statehood and nonetheless sees Belgrade as their capital.
The EU’s Kosovo ambassador, Aivo Orav, condemned the assault that he mentioned was already “depriving appreciable elements of Kosovo from water provide”.
