One of the popular cafés in Jelgava will temporarily cease operations after a morning explosion and fire. The fire completely destroyed the kitchen of the establishment, and staff and regular visitors will now have to wait for the repairs to be completed.
The early morning at the "Baltais" café in Jelgava began with an explosion, after which a strong fire broke out. As a result of the blaze, the kitchen was completely burned out, and the establishment will have to close temporarily for restoration, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
According to the café manager Iveta, everything happened shortly after six in the morning. The cooks had already arrived at work and stepped outside for a short break when a loud explosion was heard.
“We heard an explosion,” recalls the manager.
After that, the staff rushed inside the building.
“We saw flames coming from the kitchen and black smoke billowing out,” Iveta said.
Fearing that someone might have been left inside, she began to urgently evacuate the staff and simultaneously called the rescuers.
Firefighters managed to localize and extinguish the blaze, which covered an area of about 25 square meters, in just over an hour. Six people evacuated the building on their own.
Medical assistance was required for two employees. One worker experienced elevated blood pressure after the incident, while another inhaled smoke.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a malfunction of the gas equipment could have caused the incident. According to the café manager, shortly before the explosion, the staff had finished working in the kitchen and turned off the stove.
“Nothing like this has happened before,” she notes.
Later, the State Police reported that the most likely cause was a fire following the explosion of the gas cooking surface.
No criminal proceedings are planned regarding the incident, as no signs of a crime were found.
The owners of the establishment are now focused on restoring operations. A positive factor is that the property was insured, which should help expedite repairs and the resumption of activities.
The story of the café illustrates how a single technical incident can halt the operations of a popular establishment that has been part of the daily life of the townspeople for many years.
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