Shawarma shop destroyed in fire

Manama : An overworked air-conditioner destroyed a Shawarma shop in Adliya yesterday, but no casualties were reported.

Around six fire brigades of the Civil Defence Directorate in Interior Ministry successfully doused the fire minutes after it was reported. The firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to nearby shops.

The mishap occurred at Al Catcoot restaurant, located on Osama Bin Zaid Avenue, which is commonly known as the “Shawarma Alley” in Adliya.

While speaking to DT News, one of the workers at the restaurant informed that “the incident occurred at around 8am” and that “no one was at the shop at the time”.

“We were informed by friends that smoke was emitting from inside the restaurant, which was closed at the time. We usually leave the air-conditioners switched on overnight so the foodstuff won’t get spoilt by the high heat. A deep-freezer and a beverages refrigerator were destroyed by the fire,” the man informed.

Preferring to maintain anonymous, the man estimated the losses to be around BD1,000. While cleaning the shop, the man said they might reopen in the next two days.

He added, “Fortunately the fire didn’t spread to the other shops or the apartments on top of the restaurant. No one was injured. A gas cylinder exploded at around the same time eight months back. We’re following the safety standards and instructions, but I think it is our bad luck.”