Massive gas station explosion in Rome injures 45
The explosion occurred at approximately 8:20 AM local time in the Prenestino neighborhood. Officials said it was preceded by a fire sparked during the refueling process at a facility supplying both petrol and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who visited the site later in the day, described scenes of destruction at the fuel station and a nearby sports center. Charred remains and thick black smoke marked the aftermath of a blast that sent a fireball into the sky and rattled windows across Rome.
'The explosion was really powerful. I felt my skin burning,' said 23-year-old Michele Secu, who had been working at the adjacent sports facility. 'I was 15 meters from the petrol station... it exploded in front of me. I don't know how I managed to run, to escape.'
Emergency crews had already been deployed to the scene prior to the explosion after a gas leak was reported. Quick action by responders ensured the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a children's summer camp, potentially averting a larger tragedy.
Of the 45 people hurt, 21 were emergency responders, including 12 police officers, Rome police told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Local health officials said two victims remain in life-threatening condition, one of whom suffered burns over more than half of his body.
Fabio Balzani, the director of the sports center next to the explosion site, reflected on the narrow escape. 'It would have been a massacre, a catastrophe,' he said, noting that some 60 children were expected for the day's summer camp and another 120 individuals were booked to use the swimming pool amid an ongoing heatwave.
Andrea Quattrocchi, commander of the local Carabinieri unit, praised his team's swift response, saying they managed to pull one person from a burning car before rushing them to the hospital.
Eyewitnesses also reported that an ambulance was destroyed in the fire.
Authorities believe the explosion was caused by a BLEVE, a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, linked to the LNG system. 'The effect is as if a bomb has gone off,' said Ennio Aquilino, head of the Lazio regional fire service.
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