By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-12 17:33:03 | Updated at 2025-01-12 21:56:28
4 hours ago
Six people have died and eight others were injured in an explosion that caused a fire in a restaurant in the Czech Republic overnight, authorities said on Sunday.
The injured were taken to hospital or to a specialist clinic for burns in the capital Prague, the fire brigade said. Three of the injured were in critical condition, according to local media reports.
Witnesses said the fire started when a gas heater on a glass-enclosed outdoor terrace toppled over, causing its propane cylinder to ignite.
Emergency services noted that the flames spread with unusual speed and that further gas cylinders exploded during the firefighting operation.
The accident took place in a restaurant in the centre of the industrial city of Most, about 15km (9.3 miles) from the German border.
Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan wrote on social media that about 30 people were able to escape to safety from the restaurant and neighbouring buildings.
A local news station reported that the restaurant was completely destroyed by the fire, with flames reaching heights of 2 to 3 metres (6.6ft to 9.10ft).
