Firefighters quickly put out a gas fire at an Qawra commercial establishment on Tuesday morning, dousing the flames before anyone was hurt.

Civil Protection Department members were called to the scene at around 6.05am after residents reported a syspected gas explosion.

One officer and eight firefighters responded to the call from Xemxija and Corradino fire station, and three vehicles were dispatched to the scene.

Around 20 people living in nearby apartments, including one baby, as well as several pets, were quickly evacuated as the operation got under way. Having controlled the fire, they then cooled and extracted gas cylinders to a safe area.

In a statement, the CPD thanked police officers from the Qawra police station and Rapid Intervention Unit for having helped with evacuating residents.

This was the third gas-related incident in the space of a week. Last week, a 70-year-old man died when a gas heater malfunctioned and caught fire, while on Monday a 48-year-old man was badly hurt when a gas cylinder exploded at his house in Paola.