At least nine individuals were injured on Friday after an explosion occurred at a Rome petrol station, Italian officials stated. The nation’s fire department acknowledged in a statement, “We are dealing with a tank explosion. the fire is still active,” adding that one of their police officers had been hospitalized.
Emergency responders were already at the site before the blast, having been sent after a truck collided with a pipeline at the gas station, Italian news organizations reported. The collision ignited a fire that later engulfed an adjacent depot. The shockwave from the explosion also destroyed buildings nearby.
A government official told Reuters that eight police officers were among the wounded. News agency reports said ambulance staff and bystanders were also injured, but did not specify how many. Emergency services reported five people were taken to hospital.
Dramatic Footage Surfaces
Local newspaper Roma Today posted a dramatic photo of a huge ball of fire and smoke looming over the service station and surrounding houses. Further photos released by the fire department showed that the petrol station had been virtually destroyed.
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One Reuters witness described the frightening moment, telling, “I heard it as I was leaving home, there was a very loud bang, the whole house trembled and I was scared that the windows would break since it was so powerful.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is following the situation closely, her office stated in a short release.
