A fire tore through the popular beachside restaurant Chez Gado Gado in Seminyak, Bali, on Sunday night after a waitress lighting a birthday candle accidentally ignited a nearby helium balloon. The venue was packed with diners, including several birthday parties, when the balloon exploded and set the thatched roof ablaze, forcing tourists and locals to flee onto the beach as flames rapidly engulfed the building. No serious injuries were reported, though the incident caused widespread panic among guests.

Witness Tara Borelli, who was celebrating her cousin's 51st birthday, said a nearby table had two helium balloons shaped like "7" and "0" for a 70th birthday party, and the candle flame set one off, causing a fireball that ignited the thatch roof within moments. She fled to the water with her seven-year-old daughter and 12-year-old cousin, while others, including a woman helping a man in a wheelchair, escaped through different exits. Fire crews later brought the blaze under control, but the restaurant, which had operated in central Seminyak for more than three decades, was destroyed.