Azerbaijan says ‘mud volcano’ caused Caspian Sea explosion

Caspian Sea has high concentration of mud volcanoes, which spew both mud and flammable gas

A strong explosion has shaken the Caspian Sea area where Azerbaijan has extensive offshore oil and gas fields.

The cause of the blast, which caused a column of fire to rise into the sky late on Sunday, was not immediately determined, but the state oil company Socar said preliminary information indicated it was a mud volcano. Socar said none of its platforms were damaged in the explosion.