14 people injured in gas explosion at hotel in Switzerland

14 people injured in gas explosion at hotel in Switzerland

A gas explosion at a hotel in western Switzerland injured 14 people and destroyed the resort restaurant.

The explosion in the Grand Hotel of Bullet in the Jura mountains occurred shortly before 1200GMT as the innkeeper tried to fix a gas problem in the kitchen, police in the canton of Vaud said.

A terror attack has been ruled out, police spokeswoman Claude Wyss-Brunner said. "It was escaping gas," she told The Associated Press.

The innkeeper had serious burns to the arms and was flown to a hospital by helicopter, while 13 people had lighter injuries and were brought to nearby hospitals, she said. All were Swiss nationals, Wyss-Brunner added.

Around 10 cars parked outside the hotel were damaged in the blast, she said.