More than 40 people were injured in a major explosion at a petrol station in Rome, causing widespread damage. The blast occurred around 8:20 AM on Friday in the Prenestino neighborhood, sending a towering cloud of dark smoke into the sky.
Reports say emergency services were already at the scene in the Prenestino neighborhood on Friday after a tanker truck hit a pipe while maneuvering, causing a gas leak and a smaller initial blast at around 08:00 local time. Shortly afterward, a second, larger explosion rocked the area after a fire broke out.
Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, said local police and firefighters rushed to the area after receiving a report of a gas leak.
Gualtieri said two explosions followed after they arrived.
“Local police immediately evacuated a sports center nearby, while other officers evacuated buildings on the other side of the gas station, avoiding a much more serious tragedy,” he added.
Rescuers noted that an early intervention avoided a much more tragic outcome, with several children brought to safety just in time to avoid the second.
Fabio Balzani, president of the sports center, noted that the timing of the first explosion was key to averting a disaster, as just half an hour later, dozens of children would have arrived at the summer camp.
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, said she was closely following the consequences of the explosion, adding that she had spoken with Gualtieri.
Pope Leo XIV prayed for the affected persons.
Last December, a similar explosion at a fuel depot near Florence resulted in five fatalities.
