Spain: 2 killed, 10 injured in restaurant blaze after waiter sets dish on fire

Two people died while 10 were injured after a restaurant caught fire in Spain Friday night. The fire was sparked when one of the waiters flambeed a dish and accidentally set the walls and ceiling ablaze which quickly transformed into a mega-fire.

The freak incident took place at the Burro Canaglia Bar and Resto, an Italian restaurant, located on the western side of the capital city of Madrid. As soon as the incident was reported, Madrid's SAMUR emergency services were pressed into action.

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Montse Marcos, a manager at the organisation informed that two men, aged between 25 and 30 died in the blaze. Meanwhile, the 10 injured are currently being treated in different hospitals.

“A fire in a restaurant in Manuel Becerra Square has resulted in the deaths of two people. Six people hurt have been taken to different hospitals in serious condition. Four other people suffered minor injuries,” said a spokesperson from the Emergency services.

“Twelve firefighter crews have put out the fire that spread quickly across the restaurant ceiling. They also rescued several people, clients and employees."

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Firefighter chief Carlos Marin asserted that his men responded to the accident scene instantly and managed to extinguish the flames.

“People came running to the fire station which is only about 400 metres from the restaurant. Our response was very quick because half of us responded by running to the scene on foot and the other half in vehicles,” said Marin.

“People were trapped inside when we arrived and after extinguishing the flames, we performed 12 rescues. They were trapped because the flames were preventing them from reaching the exit,” he added.

Witnesses confirm waiter started the fire

According to Spanish media reports, one of the deceased was the waiter while the other was one of the patrons of the restaurant.

Witnesses confirmed that the waiter had indeed poured alcohol over the dish and set it alight, which is called flambeeing - a French technique, often used to give a dramatic tableside presentation and add a smoky flavour.

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"The waiter had the plate in flames in one hand and the blowtorch in the other. He passed by a column of plants and in a matter of seconds it burned everything," a diner was quoted as saying by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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