POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A gas explosion was reported Wednesday morning at a restaurant in Pompano Beach.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Sandra King said a 43-year-old employee arrived at Saveur Tropical Restaurant at 515 NE 24th St. just before 8 a.m. to open the business and encountered issues with the stove.
As she worked on trying to light the gas stove, gas was spreading throughout the area, King said.
King said an explosion occurred when the employee finally lit the stove.
"She said there was problems with the pilot," King said. "So as she was trying to fix it, gas was pouring out of this stove. So when she finally did light it, there was an explosion."
According to King, the impact of the explosion was enough to blow out the windows in the building and the door off the oven itself.
King said the employee suffered burns to her face and lower body. She was taken to Broward Health North.
"Pompano Beach structural inspectors determined the restaurant to be unsafe and ordered it closed until it is repaired and inspected," King said in an email.
People who work at the shopping plaza told Local 10 News reporter Terrell Forney that they're aware that the explosion could have been much worse.
"If it blow you inside the kitchen and make a fire, everything is gone -- whole plaza is gone," a store clerk said. "Lucky (there was) no fire."
Customers who showed up to the restaurant said they're just happy that no one died in the explosion.
"It broke my heart," Voines Methesier said. "Thank God nobody died."
