Two people were killed, two were rescued from the rubble and rushed to hospital while four others were injured when a two-storey building collapsed in Arad last night.
Seven fire engines and 38 Civil Defence personnel were deployed to the scene.
The building contained shops and flats.
The Interior Ministry said the two rescued people were Asians.
Public Security deputy chief General Dr Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Khalifa told BTV that the cause of accident was a gas explosion in a restaurant in the building.
Muharraq Governor Salman Bin Hindi told the GDN from the site: “This is a tragic incident. The Civil Defence is using high-technology drones and artificial intelligence to determine the whereabouts of others who may still be buried under rubble,” he said.
“The Interior Ministry has been warning about the placement of gas cylinders for a very long time, but it is clear it was disregarded here.”
Mr Bin Hindi said an emergency meeting will be held today with all concerned to find solutions for other old and dilapidated buildings.
Arad MP Abdulla Al Dhaen was also at the site to follow-up the Civil Defence work.
Jaffari Waqf (Endowment) director Mohammed Al Hussaini visited the nearby Amir Al Mo’mineen Mosque and Haji Abbas Ma’atam to assess damage caused by the building collpase.
The building owner has been summoned for legal action, said the Interior Ministry last night on X.
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