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Six people have died and eight others were injured in an explosion that caused a fire in a restaurant in the Czech Republic overnight, authorities said on Sunday.
The injured were taken to hospital or to a specialist clinic for burns in the capital Prague, the fire brigade said. Three of the injured were in critical condition, according to local media reports.
Witnesses said the fire started when a gas heater on a glass-enclosed outdoor terrace toppled over, causing its propane cylinder to ignite.
Emergency services noted that the flames spread with unusual speed and that further gas cylinders exploded during the firefighting operation.

The accident took place in a restaurant in the centre of the industrial city of Most, about 15km (9.3 miles) from the German border.
Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan wrote on social media that about 30 people were able to escape to safety from the restaurant and neighbouring buildings.
A local news station reported that the restaurant was completely destroyed by the fire, with flames reaching heights of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.10 feet).
More than 60 firefighters, 10 ambulance teams and a rescue helicopter were deployed to the scene of the accident.
When the emergency services arrived, large parts of the restaurant were already on fire, a fire brigade spokeswoman said.
She said a seriously injured guest who had been trapped in the toilet by the flames was rescued.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Most,” Czech President Petr Pavel wrote on social media.
Rakušan arrived in Most on Sunday. On the public radio station, he described a scene of destruction.
Police have launched an investigation into a suspected offence of endangering public safety. In the Czech Republic, this offence applies to anyone who negligently creates a risk to the lives or safety of many people or causes large-scale damage to others’ property.
Rakušan said a structural engineer is to now check whether it is safe for the fire investigators to enter the building. A team of specialists is then to help identify the dead.
Experts repeatedly warn against operating gas heaters in closed rooms. This is mainly because of the risk of dangerous amounts of toxic carbon monoxide being produced by the smoke.


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Firefighters and security forces check the scene of the burnt restaurant damaged by a propane-butane cylinder explosion in Most, Czech Republic on Sunday. Photo:  EPA-EFE

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The blaze, believed to have been sparked by a toppled propane cylinder, quickly engulfed the building


The blaze, believed to have been sparked by a toppled propane cylinder, quickly engulfed the building.


European Union