In the aftermath of the violent explosion that shook the Grand-Bay Store (GBS) commercial complex in the centre of the tourist village, it is reassuring to note that most clues indicate that a gas leak could have triggered the blast. This does not lessen the sense of foreboding that pervaded throughout the island on Sunday. Speculation was rife and some imagined the worst.

Besides, the international coverage given to the dramatic accident could have been bad publicity for the island. But fortunately, there was no alarming tone and most foreign news agencies that relayed the incident insisted on the official version that first clues pointed to an accidental blast caused by a possible gas leak.

“This incident is an isolated one,” declared the minister of Tourism and Leisure, Anil Gayan in a press release. “Preliminary inquiries suggest that it was an accident caused by an explosion due to a gas leak and has no other implications.”

Nevertheless, the violent explosion, which occurred at 1:45 am in Grand Bay killing two and injuring fourteen, has also caused material damage worth millions of rupees. Tourism being one of the country's major economic pillars, such an incident could have had disastrous consequences.

Fortunately, the reassurances given by the Mauritian authorities and the tourist offices have prevented any panic spreading. “Of course, people want to know. We have had phone calls from a number of tour operators abroad that want to be kept informed of the situation. But we have sent an e-mail to reassure them and say that the preliminary inquiry states it is pure accident. So far, so good,” MTTB-Mautourco’s general manager, Isabelle Descroizilles explains. As for Budget Tours, it is practically the same comment: “Nothing to report. No cancellations, no panic.”

The director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Karl Mootoosamy, declared: “There is absolutely no reason to worry. We are in contact with the tour operators. It is an isolated incident.” This incident should fortunately have no considerable impact on our tourism industry.

Having said that, the regrettable incident remains nevertheless serious in view of its violence and the fact that two people lost their lives. The explosion is said to have originated in the first-floor restaurant, La Langouste Grisée. The two victims, Jean-François Lew Leen, 25 years, and his fiancée, Emmy Ning Saw Hang Yeung, 24, were finishing their drinks in Maitai Bar, on the ground floor terrace of GBS.

The intensity of the explosion was felt hundreds of meters away, according to people present in Grand-Bay. Moreover, the walls of flats in Sunset Boulevard, opposite GBS, were damaged by debris from the explosion. Panes of glass all around the site were shattered to pieces.

The Grand-Bay police were joined by those of Pointe-aux-Canoniers and Goodlands. All the main police and security units were soon on the scene : the Special Mobile Force, the Special Supporting Unit, the Criminal Investigation Division as well as the Major Crime Investigating Team (MCIT), the Scene of Crime officers (SOCO) and the Forensic Scientific Laboratory (FSL) started securing the site and investigating the incident. A Command Post was soon set up in a sports centre opposite GBS.

The constituency MPs were on the site soon after but could not do much except note the damage. MP Ashit Gungah was the first to arrive and was soon followed by the Tourism minister Anil Gayan. Both of them, although shocked by such violence, were reassuring. “People should not jump to conclusions. We have to wait until the end of the inquiry.”

The prime minister, Paul Bérenger, who arrived on the scene just before midday, presented his condolences to those directly affected and boosted the morale of all the police units that had been active since the early morning. Opposition MPs Boolell and Dulloo were also seen on the site.

Foreign diplomats expressed their “shock” at the event European Commission Delegation leader Juan Carlos Rey visited the spot and Indian high commissioner, Pripuransing Haer, qualified the accident as “terrible.”

Last night, a lot of people were expressing their relief that, as violent and damaging as the blast has been, it is now nearly sure that it was not the result of a terrorist attack… The image of Mauritius abroad does not seem to have been tarnished. It will however take more time for those directly affected to come to terms with the disaster that has shattered their lives.

<I>The director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Karl Mootoosamy, declared: “There is absolutely no reason to worry.We are in contact with the tour operators. It is an isolated incident.”</I>