Quddus Ur Rehman sustained burns to his head, arm and leg after a blaze broke out at Pizza Max in the Ardrum Court area of the midlands town at around 1pm.
The 39-year-old was captured in dramatic footage running from the premises after a huge fireball suddenly ripped through its interior, causing onlookers to similarly run for cover.
Quddus Ur Rehman standing outside Pizza Max in Longford town following his dramatic escape earlier this afternoon.
In a candid interview with the Irish Independent outside the smoke damaged premises, Mr Rehman showed the extent of his injuries as he waited for an ambulance to bring him to hospital.
The Pakistani born retail worker said the blaze ignited after smoke filled the inside of the restaurant with what he contended was an electrical fault.
“Smoke started (to fill the restaurant) and it caught fire,” he said.
“Outside, people saw the fire and they said to put water (on it). I came out and started to call the fire brigade and while that was going on one person went in from outside and was ready to put water on it.
Quddus Ur Rehman sustained significant burn injuries to his head, arm and leg as a direct consequence of the fire.
“The fire brigade said to me to move everyone out and when he went in I followed him in to get him out. He then started to putting water on it and I said for him to stop but he poured water on the oil and it exploded. As it went up, I just tried to run.”
The scene itself was cordoned off for a period of time this afternoon before local fire crews deemed both the area and adjoining businesses safe enough for those restrictions to be lifted.
A spokesperson for Longford County Council confirmed fire personnel from its Longford station were on the scene within a matter of minutes.
“Upon arrival they discovered a fully developed fire in a takeaway premises, and the fire was quickly brought under control by the crew,” said the spokesperson.
“There were two members of the takeaway staff passed over to the HSE ambulance service for assessment.”
Fire crews at the scene in Longford town.
It’s understood another man was taken to hospital for treatment to suspected burn injuries to his arm with Mr Rehman revealing that he too had phoned for an ambulance.
The incident comes just a matter of weeks after a fire engulfed a commercial building on the opposite side of the street, causing more than €3m of damage and forcing over a dozen businesses to close.
Fifty-five-year-old Guo Zhong Chen, of 9 Belvedere Terrace, Mullingar is currently on remand in custody charged with arson as a result of that incident during the early hours of July 28.
Gardaí are, however, not treating this afternoon’s blaze as anything other than accidental.
