Police arrest suspect in Haifa kiosk explosion that injured 10-year-old girl

Explosion was originally believed to have been an accident.

By BEN HARTMAN, JPOST.COM STAFF
THE AFTERMATH of the explosion and fire at a store in Haifa last night (photo credit: FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE)
THE AFTERMATH of the explosion and fire at a store in Haifa last night
(photo credit: FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE)
An explosion at a store in Haifa initially believed to have been an accident is now suspected of having resulted from criminal arson.
A 29-year-old man, the owner of a competing business, was arrested Tuesday for setting fire to the kiosk in which the explosion took place.
A 10-year-old girl was badly wounded in the explosion a on Monday night which also wounded two other people.
Paramedics from Magen David Adom said the girl was seriously injured with a head wound and that a 40-year-old woman was lightly injured by the shockwave of the blast at the small neighborhood kiosk. A 16-year-old boy was also treated for shock.
MDA paramedic Roman Kovzan said when he and other rescue personnel arrived at the scene they found the girl unconscious in critical condition and they resuscitated her en route to the hospital.
The store was closed at the time of the blast, but the girl was sitting at a bus stop near by. The blast sparked a fire and caused massive damage to the store, but it was extinguished before it could spread to other buildings.