No 1081 Monday 23rd - Sunday 29th June 2025
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The Costa Blanca’s oldest ‘FREE’ English language newspaper - WITH THE LARGEST LOCAL CIRCULATION
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TERROR BLAST AT LO PAGAN BAR - SABOTAGE NOT RULED OUT -
Gas canister seized as investigators eye possible tampering
P
anic gripped the streets of Lo Pagan last Thursday when a powerful explosion tore through the popular Casa Javi bar, injuring 17 people, 3 of them seriously.
The blast, which shook the town just after midday, happened at the busy crossroads of Salzillo Avenue and Torres Fontes Street, right next to the bustling weekly market. Locals described the chaos as “like a war zone.” At the heart of the investigation is a butane gas cylinder found inside the establishment — its rubber hose discovered cut. That single detail has shifted the probe from a tragic accident to a potential act of sabotage. The Civil Guard's elite Fire Investigation Unit, deployed from Valencia, immediately seized the cylinder for forensic analysis. While a gas leak remains the main theory, the possibility of tampering has investigators on high alert. The explosion sent glass and debris flying into the street, catching dozens off guard as lunchtime crowds packed the area. Casa Javi, a popular local eatery, had been open just moments before the blast, its terrace and interior filled with regulars and marketgoers.