At least three people were killed and several others were injured on Monday in two separate explosions in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi and its tourism hub Dubai, the police and local media said.
A gas cylinder exploded in a Dubai restaurant early on Monday and killed one person, local media reported ahead of the expected landing of Israeli and American delegations arriving in the UAE to advance a peace agreement.
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Aftermath of the blast in Abu Dhabi shortly before the arrival of Israeli and U.S. delegations
(Photo: Twitter)
Abu Dhabi-owned The National newspaper, quoting a Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson, said the blast had caused a blaze that damaged the ground floor of the building. The fire was controlled within 33 minutes, it added.
In Abu Dhabi, Two people died when a blast hit KFC and Hardees restaurants on the city's Rashid bin Saeed Street, the National reported, adding that other retail outlets were also damaged.
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Aftermath of the blast in Abu Dhabi shortly before the arrival of Israeli and U.S. delegations
(Photo: Twitter)
Abu Dhabi police said the explosion also caused several minor and moderate injuries, and residents of the building and surrounding areas were evacuated.
Photos published on social and local media showed extensive damage to the two restaurants with a white plume of smoke rising from the ground floor of the building.
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Aftermath of the blast in Abu Dhabi shortly before the arrival of Israeli and U.S. delegations
(Photo: Twitter)
Rashid Saeed Street is also known as the airport road, where top aides to U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli officials are expected to land later on Monday, in a historic trip between Israel and another Arab country.
First published: 13:35, 08.31.20