RAYONG - Six people were injured when a cooking gas cylinder exploded in the basement of a steak restaurant in Muang district on Friday morning, causing part of the shop to collapse.
The gas explosion occurred at the Voyvai steak house, which occupies two of five shop units in a row building on Ratchumphon Road in tambon Noen Phra, around 9.25am.
The force of the explosion caused the second floor to collapse. The walls and the floors sank into the basement of the restaurant, where the 15kg cooking gas cylinder was kept.
One customer and five employees were injured. All were rushed to nearby hospitals, said Pol Capt Thongdao Khotlakkham, duty officer at Muang police station.
The restaurant owner, Papatcha Theerapatpipat, 45, said she was upstairs when the cylinder exploded. At the time there were two customers in the shop. One of them was injured in the explosion.
Thanaporn Srinak, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said engineers would inspect the structure of the building housing the steak shop. Meanwhile, it was declared off-limits. Owners of the three other shops could not be contacted because they were closed, Mr Thanaporn said.
An initial investigation found the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Forensic police planned to examine the gas-transfer hose and valve to find out the source of the leak.
Emergency units outside the Voyvai steak house after the gas explosion on Friday. (Photo by Jumphol Nikomruk)
A police officer takes photos of the damage to the rear of the wrecked steak restaurant. (Photo by Jumphol Nikomruk)