Huge flames measuring an estimated 165ft have risen into the sky after a pipeline exploded close to the Russian border.
The village of Valakelie, near Pasvalys in northern Lithuania, has been evacuated following the blast at around 5pm today, according to reports.
The explosion - which lead to an evacuation of the entire town - was most likely caused by a technical malfunction, according to head of the country's natural gas transmission system.
Dramatic footage from the scene shows lines of gridlocked traffic heading through the smoke as bright orange flames burn up ahead.
No casualties were reported but about 250 people were evacuated from the nearby village of Valakeliai as a precaution.
The fire was extinguished by midnight and the residents returned to their homes on Saturday as repair work began on the damaged pipeline.
Did you witness this incident? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk
"One of the (possible causes) is that the explosion was a result of the defects in the welding seam of the pipeline, but the investigation will provide all answers within several days," said Nemunas Biknius, the head of AB Amber Grid, which operates Lithuania's natural gas transmission system.
"I don't think it's some kind of intentional activity; I think it's an accident."
The pipeline carries gas from Lithuania's Baltic port of Klaipeda to neighboring Latvia. An adjacent pipeline was not damaged and continued to supply gas to consumers in the area, AB Amber Grid said.
The gas flow along the line is said to have been stemmed, meaning there are no leakages.
The gas transmission system in the area consists of two parallel pipelines, with the area still receiving gas supplies from the undamaged line.
It also supplies gas to Latvia.
Nemunas Biknius, CEO of Amber Grid, said: "We regret this incident in the gas pipeline system.
"We immediately started to investigate the circumstances of the incident and ensure gas supply to consumers.
"At the moment, all our efforts and those of the responsible services are focused on containing the consequences of the fire and ensuring safety.
"We have immediately informed Government representatives, the Energy Distribution Operator (ESO) and Pasvalys city authorities about the situation.
"We will provide more details on the circumstances of the incident as we have more details."
Lithuania completely cut off Russian gas imports in April 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The Baltic country imports gas from multiple countries through the Klaipeda Liquid Natural Gas terminal built a decade ago. The terminal satisfies all Lithuania's natural gas needs and allows deliveries to neighboring countries.
