Considerable damage was caused to the Bacchus Restaurant in Inguanez Street, Mdina yesterday after part of the soffit ceiling caught fire in the afternoon.

The blaze was discovered by the duty constable who was making her rounds at the time.

Police were immediately on site after the first report and evacuated all the residents in the narrow street as a safety precaution.

Preliminary investigations showed that the part of the restaurant which was open to the public caught fire after which this spread to the whole complex. Civil Protection personnel eventually controlled the fire but the area suffered extensive damage.

Duty Magistrate Joe Cassar appointed several experts to assist him in the inquiry.