Restaurant owner cleared in Arad building collapse case

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A restaurant owner accused of causing a fatal building collapse in Arad has been acquitted, after the court found no conclusive evidence linking him to the incident.The collapse, which occurred last year, killed two people and injured six others. The building housed the defendant’s restaurant.

During proceedings before the Lower Criminal Court, defence lawyers Jaafar Marhoon and Zainab Hassan argued that their client had complied with all safety requirements issued by Civil Defence, and that he had obtained the necessary operating permits from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The business was fully licensed and operating legally under Bahrain’s commercial registration framework.

Valid authorisation confirmed

The court referred to a letter dated 2 March 2025 from the Director of Registration at the ministry, which confirmed the restaurant had been approved by Civil Defence, the Ministry of Health, and the municipal authorities. A full timeline of the registration process showed each step had been cleared.

Civil Defence granted final approval on 31 July 2024, albeit with some remarks. The Ministry of Health had twice requested corrections, which were completed before final clearance was given.

Focus on gas sensors

Attention then turned to the type of gas sensors used at the premises. The defence acknowledged the sensors were not on Civil Defence’s approved list, but argued there was no evidence they had malfunctioned or contributed to the incident.

The court agreed, stating that using an unapproved device was not, in itself, grounds for liability—unless there was clear technical evidence that the sensor had failed and directly caused the collapse.

A Civil Defence officer testified that his department did not evaluate or approve devices outside its list, but admitted he could not determine whether the sensor in question was effective or not. The court ruled this was not sufficient proof either way.

Leak source unknown

Investigators were unable to determine the exact source of the gas leak. A crime scene officer told prosecutors that the restaurant’s gas cylinders were stored outside and were unlikely to have been involved in the blast. He suggested the leak might have come from another cylinder unrelated to the restaurant. In such a scenario, even approved safety equipment may not have prevented the incident, the court noted.