Gas leak blast rattles Riyadh

A ground-rattling explosion caused by a suspected gas leak and subsequent fire at a restaurant in Granada district in Riyadh, killed one citizen and injured 18 expats on Thursday evening, the Civil Defense said.
Maj. Mohammad Al-Hammadi, media spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Riyadh, told Arab News: “One person was killed in the explosion and 18 people injured.”
He said the injured were rushed to various hospitals in the capital.
The explosion in Khaled bin Waleed Street ripped out the front of the shop, sending metal, glass and other debris hurtling into the street and damaging nearby cars. The force of the blast also blew out the windows of neighboring shops and cars.
A Civil Defense team rushed to the spot when it received a report of the incident, he said. A Red Crescent team was also sent to the scene.
According to the Red Crescent, 11 injured people were rushed to Abanamy Hospital, two each to King Saud Medical City, King Khaled University Hospital and the Security Forces Hospital, and one to Kingdom Hospital in the city.
Maj. Gen. Mansur Al-Turki, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, said it was not a terror-related incident. “No, it was certainly not,” he said.
Witnesses at the eatery said there were chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the explosion, with workers scrambling to get out.