A screenshot taken from a video of the fire circulating on social media.
BEIRUT — Nine people were killed and four others injured on Tuesday afternoon in a fire caused by a gas leak in a restaurant in the Bechara al-Khoury area of Ras al-Naba, Beirut. Chief of the Bechara firefighting brigade, Hassan Yassine, told L'Orient Today's reporter on the scene that the fire had been fully extinguished by early evening and no one remained inside. "We'll know the details soon," he said.
Eight were declared dead upon recovery from the fire, while the ninth was taken to hospital in serious condition and succumbed to his wounds shortly after.
Firefighter Michel al-Murr told Al-Jadeed news outlet that all nine victims, killed on the eve of Labor Day, were employees at the restaurant "Pasta Secret," and that they died from suffocation. "They were not able to escape as they were trapped in a back room that is the call center." The call center is where the restaurant received food orders by phone. Further details regarding the victims' identities have not been released.
Pasta Secrets is an affiliated restaurant that collaborates with its parent restaurant, Pizza Secrets. Pizza Secrets has two locations in Beirut, one of which includes Pasta Secrets, in Bechara al-Khoury. It's unclear whether the two restaurants share the same kitchen and staff.
Mohammad, a waiter at Pasta Secret told L'Orient Today that if he hadn't been in the restaurant's front-of-house, he believes he wouldn't have made it out alive. "If I wasn't in the room serving, I'd be dead. There were two customers. I got them out. The flames destroyed everything."
The building, Ghanajah Building, in which the restaurant is located includes a number of public departments, namely the Imports Directorate in the Ministry of Finance and the National Litani River Authority. Murr said none of the building's residents were injured.
An employee at a nearby cafe said they heard an explosion that was so forceful it threw people from the restaurant. "I saw one of the restaurant's customers being propelled outside. I ran to help the delivery guys."
The inside of Pasta Secrets, following a massive fire caused by a gas leak, in Beirut, April 30, 2024. (Credit: Zeina Antonios/L'Orient Today)
A picture circulating on social media of the fire in Bechara El Khoury.
A spokesperson for the Lebanese Civil Defense was not immediately available to provide more information. A video circulating across social media platforms showed big flames billowing from a building and rescue teams attempting to extinguish it.
Arriving at the burnt-out restaurant, MP Paula Yacoubian told local media, "This is a crime scene. Public safety is never taken seriously in this country."
Beirut mohafez Marwan Abboud and outgoing Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi also visited the restaurant. "Forensic services will investigate and justice will name those responsible for this incident," Mawlawi told Al-Jadeed.
Fires and explosions caused by gas leaks are common in Lebanon. In January, a gas leak caused an explosion at the AMI restaurant in the Beirut Souks in Downtown Beirut, but left no injuries.
A picture circulating on social media of the fire in Bechara El Khoury.
