Pipeline leaks pose significant challenges in civil engineering due to water loss, the potential for soil erosion, and the consequent settlement or sinkhole formation. While experimental studies have explored this phenomenon, numerical modelling remains less emphasized, particularly in analysing the effects of leaks in different directions and turbulent methods. This research utilizes a coupling tool that combines Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Discrete Element Method (DEM) to examine the effect of pipeline leaks on the surrounding soil. The model consists of a rectangular container filled with spherical particles that have the density of sediment, featuring a defective pipeline embedded within. The damage potential is analysed as a function of leak area, direction, and flow rate, along with burial depth and particle diameter. In the horizontal direction, water streamlines curve upwards, dragging particles in the process and forming a protruding mound of soil on the surface. The restitution of particles from above the leak forms a cyclic vertical circulation pattern, in addition to initiating a settlement of the surface above the leak origin. In the downward case, particle fluidization does not reach the surface but forms a cavity, whose scouring area depends on the densimetric Froude number. Several analytical models that predict pressure loss through the soil, based on the leak configuration, are evaluated. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the failure mechanism of the soil surrounding pipeline leaks.