Indian expats mourn 11 deaths in Qatar blast

The expatriate Indian community has mourned the deaths of 11 expatriates in a gas tanker explosion Thursday in Qatar's capital Doha.

Of the 11 people killed in the explosion that damaged the Istanbul Restaurant near Landmark Mall, five were Indians.

Addressing a gathering at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Friday, India's Ambassador to Qatar Sanjiv Arora, said that 12 Indians had been treated for injuries and the embassy was in contact with all concerned to repatriate the bodies to their homes, The Peninsula daily reported Saturday.

Arora praised the timely response by Qatari authorities and Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Apart from senior officials of the Indian and Nepal embassy, leaders of Indian community organisations were also present at the gathering.

The blast, that occurred at 10 a.m. caused the partial collapse of the Istanbul Restaurant. It also sent shrapnel flying up to 50 metres away, the authorities said.