FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – The owners of a Florida City smoke shop destroyed in a fiery restaurant explosion last month have filed a negligence lawsuit against the gas company they blame for a blast that authorities said left 10 hospitalized and multiple businesses damaged.
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Rainbow Novelty, Inc., doing business as Rainbow Smoke Shop, filed the complaint Wednesday in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, seeking damages in excess of $50,000 from Florigas, Inc. — the propane supplier that had been working to activate kitchen equipment inside Caribbean’s Heart restaurant just before the explosion.
Authorities said the blast happened around 8:50 a.m. on May 24 at the strip mall located at 941 W. Palm Drive.
They said the blast left 10 people injured, two of whom were airlifted to a trauma center with serious burns and caused a partial roof collapse that left several businesses in ruins.
According to the lawsuit, Florigas hired technicians from Anel Costatrueba Company to inspect, connect and test the restaurant’s propane-powered kitchen equipment ahead of its grand opening.
During that process, the suit alleges, a gas leak occurred.
“Just prior to the explosion, two of the three gas fired kitchen appliances had been fired by a technician from Anel Costatrueba Company, when someone in the kitchen indicated that they smelled gas. Moments later, the kitchen exploded,” it states.
Rainbow Smoke Shop is located directly next to Caribbean’s Heart.
The lawsuit claims the explosion was the result of Florigas’ failure to ensure proper safety protocols — including checking for leaks, ensuring proper ventilation, and supervising its subcontractors.
According to the suit, “the Defendant owed a non-delegable duty to the Plaintiff to:
Inspect, connect, leak test and fire the propane delivery system and the propane kitchen equipment in a reasonably safe manner at the Caribbean’s Heart Restaurant to prevent a gas leak, fire and explosion;
Ensure that its contractor, Anel Costatrueba Company, acted in a reasonably safe manner while inspecting, connecting, leak testing and firing the propane delivery system and the propane kitchen equipment at the Caribbean’s Heart Restaurant to prevent a gas leak, fire and explosion."
Surveillance video from the scene captured first responders arriving at the collapsed building as thick smoke poured out. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews brought in search and rescue dogs to check for trapped victims.
“There was very little room to get in there,” said Division Chief Horacio Rodrigues following the explosion. “It’s not safe for our units to get in there, which is why we dispatched the dogs.”
The restaurant’s owner, Syndy Thelemaque, told Local 10 News that her husband and a family friend were the most seriously injured. She said both suffered second-degree burns and were struck by falling debris. They have since been released from the hospital.
“I lost everything I ever owned on a teacher’s salary,” she said. “But life matters most.”
The lawsuit alleges that Rainbow’s business was “destroyed” and that the company has suffered major financial losses — including property damage, lost earnings, and the complete shutdown of operations.
Investigators said they’re still working to determine the exact cause of the explosion. The lawsuit states that weather was not a contributing factor.
Anel Costatrueba Company, the contractor hired to inspect and activate the propane system, has not been located, according to the complaint. But the lawsuit argues that Florigas is still responsible, since the technicians were working at its direction.
Rainbow is demanding a jury trial and damages exceeding $50,000, not including interest or court costs.
No criminal charges have been filed, and Florigas has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Read the lawsuit here:
