Abu Dhabi: Gas explosion in a restaurant kills two
An explosion ripped through a fast-food restaurant in a building on Rashid Bin Saeed Street in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning claiming two lives, police said.
A number of people were taken to a hospital after sustaining minor and moderate injuries.
“According to on-site investigations, the incident was caused by a misalignment in the gas container fittings following refuelling,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
Emergency response teams evacuated residents of the building and cordoned off the area, the Abu Dhabi Police said.
The Rapid Intervention Teams of the Emergency and Public Safety Directorate are currently at the site to ensure public safety.
According to an update posted by the Abu Dhabi Media office on social media, two people lost their lives – one near the site of the incident, and a second passer-by who was hit by debris.
Part of the Hazza Bin Zayed Road, which was connected to the Rashid Bin Saeed Street (Airport Road), was temporarily closed to traffic, police said in an alert posted on Twitter.
The entire restaurant and the ground floor of the building were gutted in the blast. A number of vehicles parked outside were also damaged.
