One injured in gas pipe explosion in Karama hotel

The damaged restaurant at Maskan Building in Karama

One person was injured in an explosion caused when a gas pipeline burst at a restaurant in Karama early Tuesday morning.
Mohammed Hammad, Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson, said they received a call at around 7am on Tuesday that there was a blast at Ustad Hotel located at Al Maskan Building, at the corner of 47B and 12E streets in Karama.
Hammad said fire fighters from the Karama Civil Defence station rushed to the site of the accident on hearing about the accident.
The Dubai Police barricaded the road and evacuated residents in the vicinity.
The restaurant suffered major damages but no official estimate has yet been released yet. Nearby establishments sustained damages and the structural strength of the building is being assessed.
Glass shards and debris from the restaurant hit the petrol station opposite it, shattering its glass door and damaging its roof. Some vehicles parked on the street and at the petrol station were also damaged.
An official from Dubai Police told Khaleej Times that a full report will be released soon.
Eyewitness Rajesh Narriyan said he heard an explosion while he was about to leave for work. He said it was so loud and smoke covered the area within a few minutes. Alarm bells were heard and soon police cars, ambulances and civil defence patrol cars filled the area.
Ijaz Khan who lives in a nearby building, said he was so scared and thought the fire would spread to his apartment. He was relieved when he saw fire fighters and police arriving in a few minutes.
Some other residents told Khaleej Times that they woke up to a loud explosion. Anna who works at the nearby Lulu Supermarket and lives at Star Building said she heard a loud thud and was awakened by the sound, while Gerald initially thought the loud bang came from a construction site nearby.
Around midday, part of the internal road leading towards Shaikh Rashid Road was reopened to traffic but the area where the blast happened remained cordoned off while clean-up operations were being done.
The petrol station also remained close as well as the sweetshop and bakery located beside the restaurant. Retail outlets, a general trading shop and a boutique located in Al Maskan Building also remained close as of press time.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com