
Ten hurt in fuel station blast heard across Rome
Neighbouring buildings and a children's summer camp were evacuated following the explosion, which occurred around 8.20am (2.20pm, Singapore time).
Media reports said it happened during refuelling.
Mobile phone footage shared online showed a huge fireball shooting into the sky, followed by black smoke that swept across the Prenestino neighbourhood in eastern Rome.
The sound was heard across the Eternal City, with windows shaking even across town, according to AFP reporters.
Media reports said a first explosion caused emergency services to rush to the scene and was followed by a stronger blast a few minutes later.
Nine police officers were injured, none of them in a life-threatening condition, a spokesman for Rome police told AFP. The fire service said one of its firefighters was also hurt.
Ten teams of firefighters were sent to the station providing both fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The fire service posted on social media a video of blackened and smoking structures, punctuated with flames.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following the situation.

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CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Ten hurt in fuel station blast heard across Rome
ROME: A huge explosion during refuelling at a petrol station in a Rome suburb on Friday (Jul 4) injured at least 10 people and rattled windows across the Italian capital. Neighbouring buildings and a children's summer camp were evacuated following the explosion, which occurred around 8.20am (2.20pm, Singapore time). Media reports said it happened during refuelling. Mobile phone footage shared online showed a huge fireball shooting into the sky, followed by black smoke that swept across the Prenestino neighbourhood in eastern Rome. The sound was heard across the Eternal City, with windows shaking even across town, according to AFP reporters. Media reports said a first explosion caused emergency services to rush to the scene and was followed by a stronger blast a few minutes later. Nine police officers were injured, none of them in a life-threatening condition, a spokesman for Rome police told AFP. The fire service said one of its firefighters was also hurt. Ten teams of firefighters were sent to the station providing both fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The fire service posted on social media a video of blackened and smoking structures, punctuated with flames. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following the situation.

Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
At least 9 people injured after explosion at Rome petrol station
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox ROME - At least nine people, including eight police officers and a firefighter, were injured on July 4 after an explosion at a petrol station in the east of Rome, Italian authorities said. The large blast at the distributor of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the Prenestino neighbourhood was heard across the Italian capital. "We are working on a tank explosion ... the fire is still ongoing," the fire department said in a statement, adding one of their officers had been hospitalised. Emergency services were at the scene before the blast, as they had been called after a truck hit a pipeline at the service station, Italian news agencies reported. They added that the fire had spread to a nearby depot, while the shockwave from the explosion damaged nearby buildings. Eight police officers were injured, an official told Reuters, and ambulance workers and passersby were also hurt, news agencies reported, without giving numbers. Emergency services said that five people had been taken to hospital. Local news website Roma Today published a photograph of a huge ball of flame and smoke rising high into the sky above the service station and surrounding homes. Separate images released by the fire department showed the petrol station almost completely gutted. "I heard it as I was leaving the house, there was a very loud bang, the whole house shook and I was afraid the windows might shatter given how strong it was," a Reuters witness said. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was following the situation, her office said in a statement. REUTERS


CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Man set fire to flat when grandma did not open gate, gets jail
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