At least 3 dead in downtown Rio explosion—mayor

RIO DE JANEIRO—A powerful explosion at a restaurant in downtown Rio de Janeiro early Thursday left at least three people dead and 13 injured, the mayor of the Brazilian city said.

The blast occurred at an eatery located on the ground floor of a building in the center of Rio, destroying much of the lower two floors of the edifice.

“There are three dead and 13 injured, including three in serious condition,” Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters at the scene.

Most of the injured were passersby.

“It was not a greater tragedy because the shops had only just begun to open” when the explosion occurred at 7:30 a.m. (1030 GMT), Paes added.

The building was evacuated, and civil defense workers were studying the structure to see if there was a risk of collapse, the mayor added.

Authorities gave no immediate cause for the blast, but officials said early clues pointed to a gas leak.

The explosion was so strong that some people were thrown up to 40 meters (150 feet) away, Globo television reported.

Tiradentes Square, where the restaurant was located, was covered in broken glass and debris including blown out air-conditioning units. The square was blocked off by police and firefighters.