Casa Javi explosion due to sabotage of butane gas cylinder kills two foreigners, including one British expat | Credit: @orMurcia on X
The two women, including one British expat, who were hospitalised in severe condition due to injuries sustained in an explosion of an allegedly sabotaged butane gas tank at a bar in the town of San Pedro del Pinatar on June 19th, died on Thursday, several news outlets reported.
According to hospital sources, the victims are a 38-year-old woman who suffered severe burns during the tragic incident and a 56-year-old British expat who suffered head trauma from the explosion. She lived in the Murcian town of Lo Pagán, and was visiting the weekly local market when she was caught in the horror blast, The Sun reported.
The second woman who died was also an expat from Morocco. Her name was Hind, and authorities have confirmed she was the owner of the bar Casa Javi, El Español said. The news of the deaths comes even though the Civil Guard’s investigation has not yet concluded. The Judicial Police investigation suggests a butane gas cylinder was “rigged” to explode, El Español revealed.
The bar’s troubled past
According to The Sun, locals have stated that the bar had long been a source of trouble in the neighbourhood.
“There were a lot of fights outside,” one resident told 20Minutos, adding: “Girls were often seen in the area,” sparking speculation it may have been run as a brothel.
The explosion, which occurred last Thursday around noon time, had caused a total of 15 injuries, eleven of them minor, one serious injury, three moderate injuries, and two fatalities, the Spanish news agency reported today, Thursday. The people ranged in age from 16 to 83, according to municipal sources.
“Although the incident occurred when the bar was closed, it is located on the same street where the weekly market was being held that day,” EFE added.
The bar was closed at the time
The “Casa Javi” bar, which was closed at the time of the explosion, is located on one of the streets where the town’s weekly market is held every Thursday. Today, as every Thursday, a large crowd was present in the area at the time of the explosion.
The explosion occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. in this café and tea shop, which is only open in the afternoons. Emergency services received over twenty calls regarding the explosion, which also caused significant property damage.
Two Local Police patrols, members of the City Council’s Emergency and Civil Protection Service, seven firefighters from the Los Alcázares and San Javier Fire and Rescue Consortium, and 12 ambulances from the 061 Emergency and Health Management Department, as well as Civil Guard officers, were dispatched to the scene.
The President of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, has placed “all the resources and resources” of the regional government at the disposal of the municipality of Lo Pagán.
