Abu Dhabi says 2 killed, 120 injured in gas cylinder blast

A gas cylinder explosion in the capital of the United Arab Emirates killed two people and injured 120 others Monday, police said. Abu Dhabi police initially acknowledged the mid-day blast Monday, but offered no casualty figures.

Hours later, they gave the figures, offering only a few photos of broken glass in the street. State-owned and state-linked media in Abu Dhabi initially downplayed the blast as only damaging the facades of nearby shops in the capital's Khalidiya neighborhood.

Police have cordoned off several roads close to the Shining Towers complex, a local landmark. The blast occurred in a low-rise residential building nearby.