German attorney general launches investigation into Nord Stream blasts

FILE PHOTO: Gas leak from Nord stream 1 in the Baltic Sea

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's attorney general has launched an investigation into the blasts that hit the Russian Nord Stream pipeline network, allowing German investigators to collect evidence, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Denmark, Sweden and Germany are investigating how the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines ruptured, spewing gas into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark and Sweden in September.

Russia has sought to pin the incident on the West, while European countries called it an act of sabotage, without yet saying which country was behind it.

"Yes, we have initiated an investigation," the spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Miranda Murray)