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At least 77 hurt after gas cylinder explodes in southern Spain

At least 77 hurt after gas cylinder explodes in southern Spain

By REUTERS

A video grab shows the scene after a gas cylinder exploded in a cafe in Velez-Malaga, Spain on October 1, 2016. Photo: Wikono via Reuters TV

MADRID: At least 77 people have been injured, five of them seriously, after a gas cylinder exploded on Saturday in a restaurant in the Spanish town of Velez-Malaga on the southern coast, a spokesman for the Andalucia region's emergency unit said. The spokesman said the explosion occurred at about 1700 GMT during a festival in the town, which is 40 km east of the popular tourist destination of Malaga. Video footage posted on social media showed people fleeing a fire inside a small restaurant called 'La Bohemia' close to the centre of Velez-Malaga, with the street outside covered in debris. None of those seriously injured were at risk of death, a spokesman for the local hospital said. The majority of injuries were cuts and bruises. El Pais newspaper said a cook at the restaurant was able to alert customers to a fire in the kitchen, which gave most enough time to escape serious injury.