5 Indians among 11 foreigners killed in blast in Qatar

 

Doha, Mar 2, 2014 (PTI): Five Indians were among 11 expatriates killed in a deadly blast at a Turkish restaurant here in Qatar’s capital.

 

The blast tore through the Turkish restaurant, which is attached to a mall in Doha and next to a petrol station on Thursday, killing 11 people, five of them Indians.

 

Qatar government has announced a probe into the explosion that also injured 35 people.

 

The Indian victims have been identified as Riyas Kizhakemanolil, Abdul Saleem Palangad, Zakaria Padinjare Anakandi, Venkatesh and Shaikh Babu, The Peninsula reported.

 

Four Nepali nationals and two people from the Philippines were also killed in the explosions.

 

The Indian Embassy is in contact with all concerned to repatriate the bodies to their native places, Ambassador Sanjiv Arora said.

 

Of the 10 injured still undergoing treatment, eight are adults and two children. They comprise three Nepalese, three Pakistanis, two Filipinos, one Egyptian and one Indian, Gulf Times reported.

 

Qatari Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani visited the site.

 

The Interior Ministry announced the formation of a special committee to investigate the incident and a report is expected to be submitted by the end of this week.

 

"The investigation is going in full swing and the initial report is expected to be issued by the end of this week," local Arabic-language Al Sharq newspaper reported today.

 

With serious concern being raised about the safety of gas tanks and cylinders used in eateries, especially those based in petrol station complexes, Qatari authorities are gearing up to launch inspection campaign at eateries across the country to ensure that they comply with the safety standards and requirements, the paper said.

 

The campaign will be launched soon, with participation of the Civil Defence Department, Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning and other departments, it said.

 

Earlier, preliminary investigations suggested a gas tank on the roof of the restaurant and gas cylinders on neighbouring roofs exploded, the Qatar News Agency had reported.

 

The blast was the second major incident in Qatar after a fire in Villaggio Mall killed 19 people, including 13 children in May 2012.