Rome petrol station explosion injures 25, damages buildings and vehicles

Published connected 04/07/2025 - 13:19 GMT+2•Updated 15:00

An detonation connected Friday astatine a petrol and LPG position successful nan neighbourhood of Centocelle successful Rome's southeast injured astatine slightest 25 people, according to authorities.

According to first accusation from nan Rome occurrence brigade, nan accident, which occurred astatine astir 8:20 am, was caused by a method responsibility during refuelling.

None of nan injured are successful a superior condition, authorities said. Five group were reportedly hospitalised, each pinch insignificant burns and injuries caused by shattered solid from nan explosion.

The blast was heard successful different parts of nan Italian capital, pinch nan plume of fume visible crossed nan city. According to nan Agi news agency, nan detonation was truthful convulsive that immoderate group wrong nan flats adjacent nan petrol position were besides injured.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said section constabulary and firefighters rushed to nan area aft being alerted to a state leak. Two explosions followed aft they arrived, he added.

Initially, 10 group were reported injured: 8 constabulary officers, a firefighter and an emergency operator, a number which Gualtieri later said reached astir 20 earlier nan toll was updated to 25.

“There were a fewer concatenation explosions aft nan first one,” Elisabetta Accardo, a spokesperson for nan Roman police, told Italian authorities broadcaster RAI. “All nan policemen injured suffered burns, but they are not successful threat of life.”

The daze activity caused harm to immoderate of nan surrounding buildings and vehicles, which caught fire. The flames quickly dispersed to a rule enforcement storage located down nan petrol station.

The area was cordoned disconnected to facilitate information operations, pinch firefighters continuing to activity to extinguish nan blaze nether challenging conditions, arsenic Rome remains deed by an aggravated heatwave that has lasted for weeks.

Residents interviewed by section media said nan detonation was truthful large and convulsive that it struck adjacent buildings “like an earthquake”.

The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office is awaiting nan first reports from nan occurrence brigade and nan constabulary to unfastened an investigation file.