Abu Dhabi says gas cylinder explosion has killed 2, injured 120

A gas cylinder explosion in the United Arab Emirates capital on Monday killed two people and injured 120 others, police said, hours after authorities downplayed the incident and warned the public not to share images of the aftermath.

The blast hit a restaurant in Abu Dhabi’s Khalidiya neighborhood, just blocks from the capital’s waterfront Corniche. Initially, Abu Dhabi Police made vague references to damage and injuries, showing pictures of glass and debris scattered across the streets.

Six hours later, Abu Dhabi Police tweeted the casualties — 64 with “minor injuries”, 56 with “moderate injuries” and two dead.

“The injured were transferred to hospital for necessary medical care, and there was material damage to shops and the facades of six buildings,” police said. They said an investigation into the explosion was ongoing.

State-owned and state-linked media in Abu Dhabi also initially downplayed the impact of the blast, arguing that it simply damaged the façade of a nearby store. Abu Dhabi police warned the public not to share any footage of the aftermath of the bombing in the country, which has strict laws on speech.

Authorities have threatened criminal charges against those who broadcast images of attacks on the country after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a series of drone attacks on the capital.

Abu Dhabi’s English-language newspaper The Nation said the explosion occurred just after 1pm on Monday at an unnamed restaurant near the local landmark Shining Towers building.

In February, authorities said similar gas cylinder explosions hit the capital amid heightened concern over the Houthi attack.