Microwave 'explosion' wrecks Edinburgh Dalai Lama café

Owner Reka Gawa inspects the damaged kitchen

An Edinburgh café backed by the Dalai Lama has been badly damaged after a microwave apparently exploded.

Owner Reka Gawa had gone out to buy milk and other supplies for the Himalaya Café on South Clerk Street when she learned it was on fire.

Firefighters tackled the blaze and the road has now been reopened.

She told BBC Scotland the kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off, and the café will remain closed for repair work.

Ms Gawa opened the Himalaya Cafe after a chance meeting with the Dalai Lama at the Scottish Parliament in 2004 when he urged her to stay in Scotland to promote Tibetan culture.

The cafe's future was threatened earlier this year when the landlord wanted to sell the building, but Ms Gawa said she was overwhelmed by donations which helped her buy the property.

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She left her cafe just after 09:15, ahead of it opening at 11:00, but was soon alerted by a phone call from a friend.

She said: "I came running and the whole area around my café was sealed off and I wasn't allowed inside.

"I felt in so much shock. When I got inside it was like a bomb had exploded.

"The microwave has completely exploded and nothing is left of it and my kitchen is completely destroyed.

"Thankfully I wasn't inside at the time so I'm ok, I'm just in shock."

The cafe will remain closed until a new kitchen has been installed.

A Tibetan musician who had travelled from Australia was due to perform there later on Tuesday but a new venue has been found.

Ms Gawa added: "I feel very upset about this explosion but in Tibetan culture we say all your obstacles go when something dramatic like this happens so at least now I won't have any more things like this happening."

A section of Nicolson street around the Himalaya Cafe was closed off while firefighters tackled the fire

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We were alerted at 10:00 on Tuesday to reports of smoke coming from a property at South Clerk Street, Edinburgh.

"Operations Control mobilised four appliances and one height vehicle and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting the ground floor of a four-storey building.

"There are no reported casualties and crews left after ensuring the area was made safe."