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19 March 2024

Short-circuit sets Bur Dubai restaurant on fire

Published
By Bindu Rai and Parag Deulgaonkar

A fire gutted Baithal Ravi Restaurant, a popular eatery serving Pakistani and Indian cuisine, on Al Musalla Road in Bur Dubai area on Tuesday afternoon.


The Morning After: The charred remains of the Baithal Ravi restaurant in Bur Dubai. (Bindu Suresh Rai)

Flames engulfed the restaurant around lunch hour, with residents capturing and posting pictures on social networking sites.

No injuries have been reported, but restaurant staff have suggested a short circuit in the electrical signage caused the blaze.

Dubai Police is yet to release a statement.

When Emirates 24|7 visited the site this morning (April 16), the entire upper floor of the restaurant was gutted; however, there seemed to be minimal damage to the ground floor. The main street, which had been cordoned off by the authorities, is now open to vehicle traffic.

 

A Baithal Ravi employee who asked not to be named told Emirates 24|7: “It was horrifying. The fire broke out around 2.30pm. People were having lunch in the restaurant, while we were going about our business when someone suddenly screamed 'fire!' 

“Those eating in the restaurant were quickly evacuated so no one was injured; someone brought a fire extinguisher but the flames had already spread too much.”

When quizzed about the cause of the blaze, he said: “It was a short circuit. At 2.30pm the lights in 'Ravi' signage board above the restaurant shorted and the fire began to spread upstairs. It all just went up in flames within minutes."

The fire engines quickly arrived on the scene and contained the fire from spreading in what is a crowded shopping area.

Arun, who works in a neighbouring laundry, said: “We are very lucky no one was injured. The police, the fire engines brought the situation under control shortly. Who knows what could have happened had the fire spread. It was short circuit. It could have been worse.”

 

The restaurant is on Street  No  41, leading into popular shopping destination Meena Bazaar, ironically, the same street where a laundromat had been gutted in a blaze six months ago.

For patrons of the popular eatery, like ‏Dubaitara, the events have come as a shock. She tweeted, “Oh no! Popular Dubai restaurant Ravi's goes up in flames!”

The good news is the staff have been called in to begin the clean-up right away and the staff member stated Baithal Ravi should be opening once the rubble has been cleared. However, no timeline has been set to the repair work or an estimate to the cost.

 

Baithal Ravi Restaurant is not related to the iconic Ravi's Restaurant in Satwa, which has completely different owners.

Waheed Abdul Hameed, Managing Director at Ravi Restaurant, confirmed this, saying: “We are all fine here. The fire broke out at Baithal Ravi, Bur Dubai, which is not associated with the original Ravi Restaurants in any way.”