Over 20 injured in gas explosion at Rome petrol station
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A powerful gas explosion at a petrol station in northeastern Rome on Friday injured at least 21 people, including police officers and rescue workers who had responded to a reported gas spill, officials said.
Authorities said the incident occurred after a truck struck a gas pipe, triggering the blast. The explosion sent a thick plume of smoke over the Italian capital, which was visible from several parts of the city. The sound of the blast could be heard across Rome.
Among those injured, a man was pulled from a burning car and remains in serious condition. The other injuries, including those sustained by residents hit by flying glass from shattered windows, were not life-threatening, officials said.
The manager of a nearby summer camp said the explosion happened early enough to avoid what could have been a “massacre,” noting that 60 children and more than 100 swimming pool users typically occupy the area later in the day.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said she is in close contact with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and is monitoring the situation.
Pope Leo XIV expressed his solidarity, saying he is praying for the victims.
Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incident.
