Ahmad Abdullah Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A huge explosion rocked Al-Wazereya district in South Jeddah when a gas cylinder inside a restaurant exploded. According to a Civil Defense report, 24 people were injured during the explosion. The official spokesman of Civil Defense in Makkah region, Brig. Gen. Saeed Al-Sarhan, said the explosion happened in the early hours of Sunday. Firefighters and teams from the Saudi Red Crescent and Jeddah police were quick to reach the scene. As firefighters battled the fire, rescue teams began searching for possible victims. Most of the injured were workers and customers of the restaurant. 17 injured victims were rushed to King Abdulaziz Hospital and the rest were sent to King Fahd Hospital for treatment. Forensic experts and the bomb squad were called in to determine the cause of the explosion. Evidence indicated that the explosion was caused by a tear in one of the gas cylinders in the restaurants. Some of the victims who spoke to the Saudi Gazette said they did not notice a gas leak and the only thing they remembered was the sound of an explosion and fire everywhere. Civil Defense is still investigating the accident.
