Bahrain hotel badly damaged in gas explosion

Several gas cylinders exploded on July 1 in the the kitchen of the Delmon International Hotel, police said.

There were no causalities, but the building, located in a business district, was severely damaged.

The cause has not been established yet and it was not clear whether the explosion was linked to an often violent two year old protest campaign led by the Shiite Muslim opposition for more political rights and social reforms.

Arsonists have often targeted hotels, restaurants, banks and other buildings. Shiites form a slight majority of Bahrain’s nearly 400,000 people, but remain an underclass in the emirate which is ruled by the Sunni al-Khalifa family.