Nord Stream 1 operator says repair of pipeline possible

The operator of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline says repairing the leak is an option once the damage has been assessed.
A spokesman for Nord Stream AG told dpa that it wants to inspect the damage as quickly as possible once the authorities have lifted the closure zones that have been imposed.
The spokesperson declined to give information on possible costs and who would bear them.
Nord Stream 2 AG spokesman Ulrich Lissek said that "no one can seriously say at the moment what the situation is down there," but that "the structural integrity of the pipeline must be massively damaged."
For Nord Stream 2 AG, exploration or repair on the pipeline are likely to be difficult because the company has been under US sanctions since the beginning of the year.
The German government said Wednesday that "there can be no natural cause for this incident." Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit declined to describe it as an attack, however.