Restaurant explosion in Beirut kills 9, injures others

An explosion in a restaurant in Beirut on Tuesday killed nine people and injured others, according to the Beirut Fire Brigade. According to initial information, a gas leak caused the explosion in a small restaurant in the Bshara al-Khoury area in downtown Beirut, which is located in a building that houses a number of official departments, including the Finance Ministry's imports directorate and the Litani River Authority. Members of the Beirut Fire Brigade worked to extinguish the fire caused by the explosion. "Forensic evidence will conduct its investigation into the incident, and the judiciary will definitely show who is responsible," Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said in a statement. The Beirut Fire Brigade's media officer said that preliminary information indicates that "nine victims died of suffocation inside the restaurant, in addition to two wounded, one of whom is in critical condition." Source: Jordan News Agency