A cassette gas stove exploded at a Tao Heung restaurant in Telford Plaza on Thursday night, causing panic among diners but leaving no one injured, police said.
The incident occurred around 10pm when staff reportedly noticed a gas leak from a stove on a table where customers were having hotpot. As they called for assistance, the stove exploded with a loud bang, sending a strong burning smell through the restaurant. One diner said: "I thought Iraq had attacked us."
Photos from the scene showed the stove's gas canister severely damaged, with its protective cover blown off and the upper part of the canister missing.
In 2023, a similar incident at a hotpot restaurant in Wan Chai injured three diners. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department later found that two stoves placed too close together had caused the gas canisters to overheat and explode.
