Tokyo, Aug 30 (IANS): Two men were injured after a gas canister from a portable stove exploded in a restaurant in the downtown area of Japan's Tokyo, according to local police.

The incident was reported at around 4:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday in a restaurant located on the first floor of a five-story building in Shinsen district of Shibuya Ward, said the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Originating from a gas canister attached to a portable stove in the restaurant, the explosion took place when the staff were engaged in pre-opening preparations. It is believed that they were using the portable stove to heat charcoal in a metal container on top of it, Xinhua news agency reported.

Although the fire was quickly extinguished, two male employees in their 30s suffered burns to their faces and necks.

The incident occurred in a busy area surrounded by apartment buildings and supermarkets, about 150 meters away from the Shinsen Station on Tokyo's Keio Inokashira Line.