SHIJIAZHUANG - A suspect linked to a natural gas pipe leak in Xingtai City in North China's Hebei province has been arrested, local government authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

The suspect, surnamed Song, was detained after the pipeline was damaged during a digging operation, said the county government of Neiqiu, which is under the jurisdiction of Xingtai.

Police said the accident involved explosive and flammable equipment being damaged. Police are searching for a second suspect.

The natural gas supply was cut after the major pipeline, about one meter in diameter, was damaged in the early hours of Sunday. It affected homes in Xingtai, which has a population of around seven million.

The natural gas transmission pipe was damaged at the border of Neiqiu County and Longyao County in Hebei province, where construction workers were carrying out the digging work.

No explosions or casualties were reported following the accident.