No fewer than 45 people have been injured after a huge explosion at a Rome petrol station caused widespread damage.
According to reports, emergency personnel were already on the scene in the Prenestino neighbourhood on Friday after a tanker truck collided with a pipe while maneuvering, resulting in a gas leak and a minor initial blast at 08:00 local time (07:00 BST).
Shortly after, a second, stronger explosion shook the region when a fire started.
Police reported that 45 people, including police officers, were hurt in the event.
Footage of the explosion shows a massive fireball and dense black smoke filling the sky, with the explosion being heard across the city, rattling neighbouring windows and buildings.
Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, paid a visit to the charred remnants of the petrol station and an adjacent sports complex.
He told local media that the blasts had caused “enormous damage” and injured at least 21 emergency personnel, including police and firefighters.
Two men are in critical condition after sustaining severe burns, including one who was apparently rescued from a flaming car.
Photographs and video footage from the area revealed broad devastation following the bomb, including burnt-out vehicles and structures.
The mayor noted that shortly after the initial explosion, rescue workers evacuated people from surrounding buildings, including a sports complex, preventing what could have been a “much more serious tragedy”.
Massimo Bartoletti, an eyewitness, told local newspaper Roma Repubblica, “I saw the first explosion with the classic fireball. Shortly after came the second one, which was hellish.”
“A fiery mushroom formed in the sky. It made the whole area shake. It looked like hell; everything was flying in the sky,” he added.
Balzani Fabio, the director of a nearby sports centre that was damaged by the blast, stated that the initial fire occurred approximately 07:30 local time (06:30 BST).
“If it had happened at 08:30 or later, it would have been a massacre, a catastrophe,” he told AFP.
He further mentioned that approximately 60 youngsters were scheduled to attend a summer camp at the facility and that approximately 120 individuals had reserved the swimming pool for that morning.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is thought to be closely following the situation.
In a post on X she wrote, “I express my closeness to all those who are injured – including law enforcement officers, firefighters and health workers – and I extend my heartfelt thanks to those involved in the rescue and safety operations.”
