News from Málaga
'It sounded like a bomb': Malaga village still in shock following the explosion at popular restaurantThe tenant in the flat above Mesón Morisco in Sayalonga was saved "by a miracle" and has been rehoused while the building’s safety is being assessed
Añádenos en Google Damage to Mesón Morisco, and insert, residents Marisa Vilches and María del Carmen Rodríguez. (E. CABEZAS) 17/06/2026 Actualizado a las 10:59h.Residents in the village of Sayalonga in the Axarquía area of Malaga province woke up on Tuesday 16 June still in shock following the gas explosion that rocked Mesón Morisco ... , one of the best-known restaurants in the village, on Monday evening.
The incident, which occurred at around 8pm, caused the restaurant’s storeroom and an adjoining house to collapse and resulted in minor injuries to eight people, including two children, although none required hospital treatment, according to the 112 emergency service.
The damage to property remains clearly visible in the central Plaza Rafael Alcoba and at the rear of the premises, which has been partially cordoned off since early this morning by the Guardia Civil, the TEDAX bomb disposal unit and firefighters from the provincial fire brigade consortium, who are continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion.
Marisa Vilches, a local resident, told SUR that she was at home watching television when her daughter told her what had happened. “I heard an explosion at home. At the time, I thought it was an earthquake,” she explained.
Material damage
Vilches said he ran towards the restaurant, initially thinking that something had happened to Rafa, the manager, involving a gas cylinder. On arrival, she was met with a scene of devastation and said that the most important thing was that there were no serious casualties: “Thank God, there were no injuries, only material damage.”
María del Carmen Rodríguez described a similar sensation and said that the windows in her house "rattled" from the explosion. “It was like a bomb, just like a bomb,” repeated the resident, who was at home watching the television when she heard the blast.
The restaurant was open and with around 50 diners inside, many of whom were watching Spain’s match against Cape Verde. According to initial theories, the blast may have been caused by a gas leak from one of the cylinders stored in the back room of the premises, although the investigation is still ongoing.
The impact was such that the second floor of the warehouse has been completely destroyed, as has the adjoining flat above it, while another neighbouring building has also suffered significant damage. Firefighters removed several gas cylinders and carried out clearance work to ensure that no one was trapped in the rubble.
The explosion took the restaurant by surprise whilst it was open and there were around 50 diners inside, many of whom were watching Spain’s match against Cape Verde
The tenant of the flat above, an elderly foreign woman, was saved "by a miracle" because, according to neighbours, she was in another room at the time of the explosion. Since then, she has temporarily moved into a holiday cottage with her daughter while the safety of the building is assessed.
In a statement posted on its social media accounts, Mesón Morisco wished to thank everyone for their support and explain that, following the scare, their first priority was to check that the whole team was safe. The restaurant explains that the explosion occurred on the upper floor, at the rear of the building, where the storeroom containing fridges, freezers and the gas supply system for the restaurant is located.
The restaurant adds that the tenant on the floor above was evacuated "without incident" and that the minor injuries sustained by some customers were caused by small pieces of glass that had fallen from the upper part of the façade. The family who own the restaurant insist that the premises will remain closed until further notice and that their intention is to return "stronger than ever".
The mayor of Sayalonga, Sagrario Fernández, pointed out that "fortunately" there were no serious injuries, while the Guardia Civil continues to investigate the exact causes of the explosion.