TOKYO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Two men were injured after a gas canister from a portable stove exploded in a restaurant in the downtown area of Tokyo on Tuesday, according to local police.
The incident was reported at around 4:30 p.m. local time in a restaurant located on the first floor of a five-story building in Shinsen district of Shibuya Ward, said the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Originating from a gas canister attached to a portable stove in the restaurant, the explosion took place when the staff were engaged in pre-opening preparations. It is believed that they were using the portable stove to heat charcoal in a metal container on top of it.
Although the fire was quickly extinguished, two male employees in their 30s suffered burns to their faces and necks.
The incident occurred in a busy area surrounded by apartment buildings and supermarkets, about 150 meters away from the Shinsen Station on Tokyo's Keio Inokashira Line. ■
