Gas Leak Suspected In Blasts At Chiang Mai Pub

[george]

Gas leak suspected in blasts at Chiang Mai pub

CHIANG MAI: -- Pre-dawn blasts in a pub sent nearby condo residents and motel guests streaming outside for their safety, police said yesterday.

Two gas explosions were heard, and a fire broke out at 5.30am in the Monkey Pub and Restaurant located on Nimmanahaeminda Road in Muang Chiang Mai, said Major Burachat Kwankham of Phuping Rajchanivej Police Station.

Five fire engines took half an hour to get the blaze under control, he said. Investigators found that the fire had started in the kitchen and spread to the wine cellar.

Police suspect a gas leak and short circuit as the cause, he said.

No deaths or injuries were reported, but the damage, mostly to kitchenware and the wine cellar, was estimated as Bt300,000.

--The Nation 2005-04-16