RIGA, July 9 (LETA) - A blade of a turbine broke off and fell to the ground during a 72-hour test at the Rapsoil wind farm construction site in Liepaja on Wednesday, the local government reported following a meeting between representatives of the Liepaja City Council, the Construction Board, and the company on Thursday.

Rapsoil representatives have gone to the construction site to assess the situation. Zita Lazdane, a representative of the Liepaja City Council, stated that this is the first time the municipality has encountered such an accident, so it is not yet possible to determine its causes precisely. An internal crisis management team has been set up to conduct a detailed analysis and assessment of the situation, Lazdane said.

According to preliminary information provided by the company, one blade probably clipped the other, but the exact cause of the incident has yet to be established. The accident occurred during a 72-hour test of the turbines. Construction work at the site has been completed, but the wind farm has not yet been put into operation.

The company expects preliminary conclusions regarding the causes of the accident to be available early next week.

Until further notice, all work at the site has been suspended. Video surveillance cameras have been installed on the premises, and security has been provided.

As reported, a blade of one turbine snapped and fell at the Rapsoil wind farm construction site on Wednesday. No one was injured in the incident.

The Rapsoil wind farm is a large-scale and long-debated project in Liepaja. The construction plan calls for the installation of 12 wind turbines with a total capacity of 57.6 megawatts (MW) along November 14 Boulevard. The turbine towers are 82.5 meters tall, while the total height, including the blades, is nearly 150 meters.

According to information from Firmas.lv, Rapsoil had a turnover of EUR 30,508 last year. The company's loss amounted to EUR 527,089. The company was founded in 2002. Its share capital is EUR 35,175,246. The company is owned by Lithuania's UAB Enervia.