Lithuanian capital's environmental emergency situation to be recalled: mayor

The emergency situation introduced due to an incident in the capital city over the Christmas weekend will be recalled in a day or two, Remigijus Simasius, mayor of Vilnius, said on Tuesday.

"The emergency situation remains in place mostly due to bureaucratic reasons; it will be cancelled after all these procedures are figured out," Simasius was quoted by reports as saying.

The emergency situation in Vilnius was announced on Saturday night after the wastewater pipes close to Vilnius' Neris river were badly damaged.

He was speaking prior to the sitting of the city's Committee of Emergencies which later on Tuesday decided to recall the emergency situation on Dec. 28.

On Christmas Eve which was massively celebrated in Lithuania, a sinkhole opened in a street near Neris river on a construction site located close to Barclays headquarters in Vilnius. As a result, one of the main Vilnius sewage pipelines was burst.

It is estimated that around 20,000 cubic meters of wastewater could have flowed into the river Neris.

Vilnius Municipality will conduct an investigation into the causes of the incident and possible environmental damage.

"It is too early to say what exactly caused the accident and who should take responsibility for it as investigation must be completed," Simasius told reporters.

After the investigation, claims for damage due to natural disaster will be submitted, he added.

As local news agency Elta reported earlier, the incident did not affect the supply of heating, electricity and water to Vilnius residents and the pipes were fixed in 24 hours. Endit