Two dead in Abu Dhabi restaurant gas explosion

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

A huge gas explosion was reported in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning, resulting in the death of two people.

The police said two people lost their lives — one near the site of the incident, and the second, a passer-by who was hit by debris.

The Rapid Intervention Teams of the Emergency and Public Safety Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police are currently dealing with the explosion that is expected to have caused by gas installations system at a restaurant in a building on Rashid Bin Saeed Street in Abu Dhabi.

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The explosion damaged other restaurants in the building. The blast is believed to hit KFC and Hardees restaurants on the city's Rashid Bin Saeed Street. The retail outlets were also damaged. Rashid Saeed Street is also known as the airport road.

The Abu Dhabi Police said the accident resulted in minor and medium injuries.

The injured were transferred to the hospital for treatment. A report was received in the operations room about an explosion in a restaurant. The team immediately rushed to the site. The teams are currently carrying out their tasks of evacuating the residents from the building and surrounding the place to ensure the safety of the public.

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi is continually monitoring developments and coordinating with the police, relative to a blast, that hit branches of two popular fast food chains at approximately 10 a.m. on Monday in the capital.

"Hopefully none are our kababayans (countrymen),” WhatsApped Consul General Marford Angeles to Gulf Today at 3:30 p.m. after he had forwarded the 2:43 p.m. tweet of the Abu Dhabi Media Office. "Unfortunately, two victims lost their lives-one near the site of the incident, and a second passer-by who was hit by debris. We extend our heartfelt condolences to their families. God rest their souls,” the tweet went.

"None yet,” Angeles replied, when enquired on the official identification of the casualties and fatalities. It was at 2:30 p.m. when the diplomatic mission released its first press statement on the explosion that rocked a building and tore down the KFC and Hardee’s located on Rashid Bin Saeed Street, more known as Airport Road.

Initial news reports indicated the tragedy was due to a gas leak. At 4 p.m. the embassy released the following:

"Initial information reaching the Embassy is that there may be Filipinos working at the affected establishments but company management are not able to confirm at this time. The Embassy is on the alert and ready to extend assistance.”

In the 2:30 p.m. press statement, it quoted Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, having deployed two embassy personnel "on the site to check on the area,” as others had also been assigned "to coordinate with the police.”

This reporter got in touch with the consul general upon receipt of initial reports through the social media, the state-owned news agency WAM and Reuters as a big number of Filipinos work as service crew and middle management in such food establishments across the UAE.

"The latest pronouncement from the UAE authorities is that there are no casualties and only minor injuries were sustained,” according to the 2:30 p.m. Embassy statement. "On the explosion at a building near Airport Road in Abu Dhabi at around 10 in the morning, the Abu Dhabi authorities quickly arrived at the scene to address the situation and to ensure everyone’s safety.

The Philippine Embassy is monitoring developments and will extend possible assistance. We join the Filipino Community in the UAE, hoping that all involved in the incident would be safe.”