The World Today
Montevideo restaurant explosion: one injured and damage in the city center
A powerful explosion rocked downtown Montevideo on Friday morning, when an incident in the kitchen of the Bosque Bambú vegetarian restaurant left one worker injured and caused the complete closure of San José Street, between Río Negro and Julio Herrera y Obes.
According to the fire department's report, the fire started while a pressure cooker used to prepare rice was being operated. The explosion was so powerful that a metal valve was thrown across the street and ended up hitting the awning of a hair salon located directly across the street.
The 20-year-old worker suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the State Insurance . Witnesses described the scene as tense. "I heard the bang and saw a piece flying. There was a flash of flame, and then it fell to the ground. Luckily, no one was passing by, not even a bus at the time," a neighbor said.
Authorities have closed traffic in the area while expert reports are conducted to determine the exact cause of the accident and assess the structural damage to the building and surrounding businesses.
Developing news that is being updated…
