Balloons explode at birthday party setting popular Bali restaurant on fire

A popular restaurant in Bali caught fire on Sunday after balloons filled with hydrogen exploded inside. Videos show people running for their lives with the flames raging behind them. The scary incident happened at the Chez Gado Gado restaurant in Seminyak. The eatery was witnessing the dinner rush at the time, leaving hundreds of them scrambling to safety.

Cause of fire at Bali restaurant

According to reports, a birthday party was on at the restaurant when a sparkler lit a balloon that was filled with hydrogen. One explosion led to another, ultimately setting the thatched roof on fire. A person who was there told 9News, “There are the balloons, a lot of explosions, explosion and explosion and explosion; it was just, yeah, it was terrible.”

People recall horrific scenes

Other witnesses recalled a chaotic scene as people did not know what to do. A light from the ceiling fell down on a woman, "and she got like blown back from the table," a witness said. The main exit route got congested, and the staff rushed in with fire extinguishers. A woman told Perth Now, “The waiters were trying to put it out with serviettes and napkins . . . one grabbed a fire extinguisher and was trying to put it out, which obviously didn’t do anything.”

Everyone who escaped stood at the beach as the restaurant continued to burn. Heath Nelson, one of the people who escaped the inferno, said there were about 1,000 people on the beach. “Everyone was just in shock, didn’t know what to do. People were running around; they’d lost relatives, yelling people’s names. It was pretty horrific to see,” he said.

There were reportedly no grievous injuries. One staff member suffered burn injuries to her hand. A boy from Australia who was very close to the balloon was being treated for burns to his face and arms. The restaurant was gone by daytime. Four motorcycles at the scene were also charred.