Swedes close area of Baltic Sea around pipeline gas leaks

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Swedish prosecutor in charge of the investigation into leaks from pipelines in the Baltic Sea said Tuesday that he has ordered the area to be closed as he carries out a preliminary investigation into “suspected gross sabotage.” The Swedish coast guard said ships, divers, fishing vessels and underwater vehicles, among others, are banned from approaching within 9.3 kilometers (5.8 miles) of the two leaks off Sweden. Undersea blasts last weeks involving several hundred pounds of explosives damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in four locations off southern Sweden and Denmark and led to huge methane leaks in international waters in the Baltic Sea.