A South Florida man who had poured his life savings into a new business was among the people hospitalized after a propane gas explosion tore through a Florida City strip mall on Saturday — just hours before the Caribbean-themed restaurant was scheduled to hold its grand opening.
The blast, which injured 10 people and caused a partial roof collapse, occurred at the site of Caribbean’s Heart, a new eatery that was set to open its doors to the public that same day. According to residents and community members, the owner had heavily invested in the launch and was among eight people taken to the hospital following the explosion. Two victims were classified as trauma alerts, officials said.
The explosion happened at a storefront previously identified as Palm Bakery, but neighbors said it had recently been taken over by Caribbean’s Heart.
Restaurant damaged in Florida City strip mall explosion was set to open that day
Though the business was closed at the time of the incident, video from the scene showed the damage was extensive, with shattered glass scattered throughout the parking lot and at least one nearby shop now deemed structurally unsafe.
As of Sunday, the area remained cordoned off with yellow tape as investigators continued working to determine the cause of the blast.
Officials have not provided an update on the conditions of the injured, though one victim who spoke to CBS News Miami was released from the hospital later that day.
The fiery scene marked a devastating turn for what was supposed to be a day of celebration. A flier promoting Caribbean’s Heart’s grand opening was still visible at the site as of Sunday morning.
