British mother and daughter in hospital after Tenerife blast.

The explosion happened at the Bahia Principe Hotel in the resort of Playa Paraiso in Adeje on the southwestern coast of Tenerife

A British holidaymaker and her young daughter were injured at a hotel pool bar in Tenerife when a container used to keep buffet food warm exploded.

The woman suffered severe burns to her face and scalp after being caught in the blast on Friday afternoon and her eight year old daughter suffered less serious burns to her neck and ear.

A man, understood to be the father of the child, received medical attention. Two other women, a Belgian and a Spaniard were also treated in hospital for minor abrasions.

"We can confirm an incident in Tenerife involving two British Nationals," a spokesman from the Foreign and commonwealth Office said. "We are offering consular assistance and liasing with local authorities."

The explosion happened at the Bahia Principe Hotel in the resort of Playa Paraiso in Adeje on the southwestern coast of the Canary Island shortly after 4pm on Friday.

A spokesman for the Canary Islands government confirmed: "Five people were injured, including three British members of the same family.

"The British casualties included an eight-year-old girl who suffered non-serious burns to her neck and one of her ears, her mother who suffered severe burns to her face and scalp and her father who suffered minor abrasions.

"The mother was taken to a hospital in the capital Santa Cruz called Nuestra Senora de La Candelaria University Hospital because of the severity of her burns while the father and daughter were treated at the Hospiten Sur on the south of the island."

The hospital confirmed that the woman, who has not been named, was in a serious but stable condition.

A spokesman for the Bahia Principe said it was unclear what exactly had caused the explosion which occurred in the poolside bar area.

"This was an accident and we still are not sure what went wrong - we are awaiting the investigation of the judicial police," he said.

"The explosion took place in a metal buffet container by the pool which uses a flammable gel to keep food warm.

"The swimming pool is now open again and the hotel is back to normal,” he added. "We would like to wish those who were injured a speedy recovery."

The Bahia Principe is a 220-room hotel which advertises "marvellous facilities, lush green gardens and an infinity pool". Situated on a cliff with "beautiful views of the sea and of La Gomera island" it promises to provide an “unforgettable vacation”.

The Costa Adeje resort on Tenerife is a popular destination for British tourists, with nearby white sand beaches of Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos.

Enjoying year-round good weather, the Canary Islands receive tens of thousands of British holidaymakers during the cold winter months especially those seeking sun over Christmas.

Temperatures tend to range from around 24C in summer to 17C in winter.