Doha

A Doha Criminal Court on Tuesday postponed to April 7 hearing in a case related to a gas explosion at Hala Istanbul Restaurant last year.

The court wants to hear from another witness and asked some of the injured to produce medical certificates in Arabic regarding the percentage of disability they sustained.

The explosion at Hala Istanbul Restaurant, located inside the Q Mart Petrol Station at Duhail and adjacent to the Landmark Shopping Mall, killed 11 expatriates and left 35 injured, including a Qatari, on February 27 last year. It damaged other buildings in the vicinity apart from wrecking a number of vehicles.

Four accused in the case attended Tuesday’s hearing accompanied by their lawyers.

Earlier, the Public Prosecution charged an Egyptian (a general supervisor at the Qatargas Group), an Indian (a supervisor at Woqod), and two Turkish men (a baker and an accountant) at the restaurant.

The four persons were charged with negligence in undertaking their work duties, which caused the loss of lives, severe injury to many, risked the safety of others and caused undue destruction of material assets of others.

The lawyer of some of the accused queried the investigators on the way evidences were collected.

Another lawyer demanded that a report should be filed on the recordings of the surveillance cameras at the place.

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