
Explosion rocks major European capital as locals run for their lives
The city was rocked by a huge explosion that shook through the east of Rome, at around 8am this morning, and was heard through most of the Italian capital.
21 people have reportedly been left injured by the horror explosion in the Prenestino area, and emergency services are still at the scene.
Did you see what happened? Contact webnews@mirror.co.uk.
This is a live blog. Please follow below for updates...
The number of injured people from this morning's blast has reportedly risen to 21.
Inital reports have suggested none of these people sustained serious injuries.
Goirgia Meloni has reportedly reached out to the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the shocking blaze.
The Prime Minister has not shared a public message about the explosion yet.
Shocking footage filemd by a passerby caught the blast on camera.
The video appeared to show an object get shot out of the blaze while the local started to desperately run from the fire.
At least 10 people have been injured in the blast.
Eight police officers, a firefighter, and an emergency services operator have reportedly been left with injuries after the explosion, according to Ansa.it.
At least one firefighter and several emergency service responders have been left injured after the shock blast.
According to inital local reports, firefighters were called to the scene after reports of a truck that had hit a pipeline. By the time they got to the area, there had been an explosion.
One of these firefighters was reportedly rushed to hospital. The blast also caused some damage to nearby buildings.
The petrol station explosion sent a huge cloud of black smoke into the sky over Rome.
The blast, in the eastern Prenestino district of Rome, was heard across the capital.
Plumes of smoke were also seen rising ovet the city early this morning.
One shocked resident shared their terrifying account of this morning's explosion, according to La Repubblica.
They said: "I woke up with a start, I heard a very loud explosion, it sounded like a bomb." Another local said: "All the windows shook, I thought it was an earthquake."
Locals immediately fled their homes and motorists bolted from the area after two explosions at the petrol station.
Witnesses reported the smell of gas before the first explosion. This was then followed by a second stromger shot into the air and a terrifying ball of fire.
The shocking petrol station has left three people injured.
A huge fireball was seen over the city after the explosion in the east of Rome.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I've lost the trail': Full haunting text from Brit Matthew Hall missing in Italy – as mum says ‘I just want him home'
THE mum of a Brit who vanished while hiking in Italy says she " just wants him home " as a major search operation continues. Matthew Hall Advertisement 4 The 33-year-old from Hull had been due to fly back to Britain at the weekend Credit: Facebook 4 Matthew is understood to have been planning an eight-hour trek before he vanished Credit: Facebook 4 Matthew is described as being around 5ft 10in and with brown hair Credit: Facebook 4 The 33-year-old from Hull had been due to fly back to Britain at the weekend, but his whereabouts have been unknown since July 9. A final text to a friend before his disappearance reads: "I lost the path and stopped to rest". His mother Sara Foster told BBC News: "I'm very wobbly at the moment, obviously, but I'm really trying to stay positive." Matthew is understood to have been planning an eight-hour trek before he vanished. Advertisement read more in world news He had been staying at the B&B Ploncher in Chiavenna, and hotel staff reportedly raised concerns when he did not show up for check out. When they went to his room, his belongings and documents were still there except his backpack - and his phone was turned off. Before his disappearance he was reportedly spotted by staff at the 'All Right' pub on July 7. According to Italian media reports, he might have been heading towards Savogno or Dasile, starting from Borgonuovo. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Alternatively, he might have been going towards Pianazzola, Daloo or Lagunch, starting from Chiavenna. He had sent a photo of the cross at Alpe Daloo near San Giacomo Filippo to his friends before his disappearance, the BBC has reported. I've moved to hidden historic town where houses are the price of handbags & pints are cheaper than Tesco sandwiches His mum said: "We'd got lots of photos from him from the Saturday to the Monday and then it seemed to be a blank. "If you're walking around Chiavenna just keep an eye out. We just want him to come home." Advertisement A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities." Matthew is described as being around 5ft 10in and with brown hair. Search operations are underway, with rescue teams scouring the area to establish his likely location. The Prefecture is overseeing the operation, which involves the Carabinieri, the Guardia di Finanza, and the Alpine Rescue team. Advertisement Sara praised the work of the police and rescue services, adding she is "so impressed" at how they've kept her updated. She said her son is a Hull KR fan who "loves his trails and walking". He lives round the corner from her with his cat Betty, she added. Matthew is believed to have been wearing beige top and had a black backpack with him when he vanished. Advertisement Anyone with information regarding Matthew's whereabouts is urged to contact law enforcement.


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Meredith Kercher's killer Rudy Guede to stand new trial over ‘sexual assault' of ex-girlfriend in Italy
THE man convicted of murdering British university student Meredith Kercher has been charged with sexual assault against his former girlfriend. Rudy Guede, 38, is once again 6 Rudy Guede spotted for the first time since his release from prison Credit: Louis Wood 6 Guede arrested ater the murder of Brit Brit Meredith Credit: Getty 6 Brit Meredith was murdered in Italy in 2007 Credit: Alamy 6 Rudy Guede watches during his appeal against the sentence he received in the Meredith Kercher murder trial Credit: Reuters Guede served just 13 years of his 16-year jail sentence after he was convicted of killing Ms Kercher in 2007. He was During his time in prison, Guede started dating a 25-year-old woman, who later ended their relationship in 2023 and pressed charges against him, according to local Italian media. Guede has been placed under a "special surveillance" regime since last year, when police began their investigation into the alleged sexual assault, read more on the case According to a Rome court ruling, Guede must inform the police anytime he leaves Viterbo, his city of residence. He has been fitted with an electronic ankle tag and was banned from having any contact with the woman behind the sexual assault allegations. Carlo Mezzetti, his lawyer, told CNN that Guede was innocent and feared he would not get a fair trial given his previous conviction. Some 100,000 photos, thousands of chats and audio messages between Guede and the unnamed victim are among the evidence set to be presented in the trial, according to the media outlet. Most read in The Sun The exchange student from the University of Leeds had been stabbed 47 times. Watch weeping Amanda Knox break down as her slander conviction is UPHELD in final twist of Meredith Kercher murder saga Ms Kercher shared her flat with her American roommate, Amanda Knox. Ms Knox was convicted alongside her then-boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito - but they both were fully acquitted by Italy's Supreme Court in 2015 following a sensational legal battle. Though At the time of Guede's release, Ms Knox said that Guede has been "able to cause harm to more young women" since his release. She wrote in a post on X: "Guede was never held fully accountable for murdering Meredith, as he was only convicted of rape and of 'participating in the murder.' "Essentially he was charged with being an accomplice for a crime he committed alone. He was sentenced to 30 years. 6 Knox accompanied by security guards arrives in court for the preliminary hearings into the murder of British student Meredith Kercher Credit: EPA 6 Knox and then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito looking on outside the rented house where the 21-year-old Brit Meredith was found dead Credit: Associated Press "On appeal, that was reduced to 16. He was released on 'good behavior' after serving 13 years..." Knox has since gone on to become an author and journalist and has spoken openly about her treatment during the ordeal. In 2020, Knox told "I continue to this day to be shocked that he is the forgotten killer," Knox said. "The one who was quietly tucked away, convicted of a lesser crime, and does not have to live with the burden of forever being associated with Meredith's death. "I do know that many, many people have suffered a great deal because of what he did.' Timeline of Meredith Kercher saga November 1, 2007 – The murder of Meredith Kercher: British exchange student Meredith Kercher, 21, is found dead in the apartment she shares with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy. Her throat is slashed, and signs suggest she may have been sexually assaulted. November 6, 2007 – Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito arrested : Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and Patrick Lumumba, Knox's boss at a local bar, are arrested in connection with Kercher's murder. Knox accuses Lumumba of the killing during a police interrogation. November 20, 2007 – Patrick Lumumba released : Lumumba is released after police find no forensic evidence linking him to the murder. He was falsely implicated by Knox during a contentious interrogation. December 6, 2007 – Rudy Guede arrested in Germany : Rudy Guede, a 20-year-old Ivorian man, is arrested in Germany and extradited to Italy. His DNA is found on Kercher's body and at the crime scene. October 28, 2008 – Guede convicted of murder : Guede opts for a fast-track trial and is convicted of Kercher's murder. He is sentenced to 30 years in prison, later reduced to 16 on appeal. January 16, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito trial begins : Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito stand trial for the murder of Kercher. Prosecutors allege a sex game gone wrong, while the defence argues that Guede acted alone. December 4, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito convicted: Knox and Sollecito are found guilty. Knox is sentenced to 26 years in prison; Sollecito receives 25 years. November 24, 2010 – Appeals process begins : Knox and Sollecito appeal their convictions. A key focus is the forensic evidence, including DNA found on a knife and a bra clasp. October 3, 2011 – Knox and Sollecito acquitted : An appeals court overturns their convictions, citing errors in the forensic investigation. Knox is freed and returns to Seattle. March 26, 2013 – Italy's Supreme Court orders retrial : Italy's Court of Cassation annuls the acquittals, ordering a retrial for Knox and Sollecito. January 30, 2014 – Knox and Sollecito reconvicted: Knox and Sollecito are reconvicted in their retrial. Knox, now in the U.S., is sentenced to 28.5 years in prison. March 25, 2015 – Final acquittal: Italy's Supreme Court definitively acquits Knox and Sollecito of Kercher's murder, citing lack of evidence and glaring errors in the investigation. November 2021 – Rudy Guede released : Rudy Guede, the sole person definitively convicted in connection with Kercher's death, is released from prison after serving 13 years. 2023 - present – Knox's slander conviction: Despite her acquittal, Knox is convicted of slander for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba. 2023: The European Court of Human Rights rules that Knox's rights were violated during her 2007 interrogation. June 2024: An Italian court upholds her slander conviction, a decision confirmed by Italy's high court in January 2025.


The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Mum of Brit, 25, who vanished in Sardinia a year ago says she's living through ‘never-ending nightmare'
THE mother of a Brit man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago has said she's been "broken" since his disappearance. Michael Frison suddenly vanished on the Italian island, where he had just arrived to do volunteer work on a farm, in July 2024. 5 Michael was reported missing in Sardinia Credit: Facebook 5 He vanished on 13 July 2024, just the day after he arrived on the Mediterranean island Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis 5 A year on from his disappearance, Michael's mother Cristina Pittalis has told Sky News of her anguish over what happened to him. "I'm trying not to lose my mind," she said as she recounted the "He was in a rush but absolutely clear in his speech, I didn't detect any confusion in his state of mind." Michael, 26, read more in world news Cristina, who is from Somerset, told the broadcaster: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless … something extremely bad happened to them." Her son had reportedly gone for a walk, and returned in a confused state and showing signs of heatstroke. After this, he went for a second walk - from which he never returned. His clothes and trainers were later found close by. Most read in The Sun Michael's mum told Sky News is was "extremely unlikely" he would suffer heatstroke as he had lived on the island before. It would also be "completely out of character" to wander off barefoot and leave his belongings behind, she added. Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving 1 dead She has now moved to Sardinia along with her other son, 11, in an attempt to look for Michael. Cristina, who is originally from Sassari in the island's northwest, said she is "extremely worried because there are no traces of Michael". Although a local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing, Michael's mum wants Interpol to step in to help with the search. "It's a never-ending nightmare," she said. "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken." Cristina said that "during the past 12 months, the area was constantly searched, through woodland, caves, mountains" - but nothing was found. She is also calling for a woman from Jersey who is believed to have been with Michael in the days leading up to his disappearance to come forward with any available information. One of her friends previously set up a GoFundMe to help with the search that raised more than £10,000. The money was aimed at supporting various costs including travel, legal fees and awareness campaigns. Cristina further told Sky of the impact Michael's disappearance has had on his younger half-brother Emanuele. Emanuele's father died back in 2017. "He's devastated," she said. "The three of us were extremely close, the two of them, they used to do everything together." She added that for him "it's horrible, he lost his father and now he lost his brother." 5 Michael's mum told Sky News is was "extremely unlikely" he would suffer heatstroke as he had lived on the island before Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis 5 A local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing Credit: Facebook/@Cristina Pittalis