8 Dead in Restaurant Explosion in Lebanon

Minister of Interior in Lebanon's caretaker government Bassam Mawlawi inspected the site of a fire that broke out due to an explosion at a restaurant in the Bashara El Khoury area of Beirut on Tuesday evening.

Mawlawi affirmed that "forensic evidence will investigate the incident that occurred at a restaurant in Bashara El Khoury, and the judiciary will undoubtedly reveal the responsible party," adding that "preliminary information indicated the death of 8 victims, with confirmation underway for a ninth victim."

Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Beirut's Appeals Court, Judge Zahir Hamadeh, ordered the arrest of the owner of "Pizza Secrets" restaurant and a responsible person therein, pending investigation at the security branch, awaiting clarity on the fire that engulfed the restaurant in Bashara El Khoury area.

The fire resulted in the death of eight victims, most of whom were kitchen staff who suffocated after a gas leak from large cylinders in the restaurant caused a fire.

According to preliminary information, the newly established restaurant, operating for about three months, had four gas cylinders, and a gas leak led to an explosion in the kitchen that spread throughout the premises.

The investigation is probing whether safety measures were in place at the restaurant, any lapses in their implementation, and the presence of emergency exits, as well as whether the restaurant was licensed or not.

Preliminary data also indicate that the governor had allowed only one gas cylinder to be present in the restaurant.