By Giancarlo Navach
MILAN, May 11 (Reuters) – A van transporting oxygen gas canisters exploded in a Milan street on Thursday, injuring one person and setting nearby cars and motorbikes ablaze, local officials said.
The city’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, ruled out foul play and confirmed that no-one had died in the incident.
Sala said the driver of the van had told the fire brigade that the blaze had started in his engine. “He quickly grabbed the oxygen cylinders he was carrying … He tried to limit the damage but then there was an explosion,” the mayor said.
He added that the driver had sustained only light injuries.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, which had sent clouds of thick black smoke into the sky.
Eyewitnesses said the fire appeared to have spread to a nearby building, which was evacuated. A local school was also evacuated.
16th June 2026
Sweden's parliament passed a law on Monday allowing authorities to revoke immigrants' residency permits based on bad behaviour, such as having unpaid debts, doing undeclared work or li...
16th June 2026
Ukraine is accelerating reforms to align its banking and insurance sectors with EU standards by 2028 despite wartime challenges, to buttress investor confidence and deepen economic inte...
16th June 2026
Morning Briefing
Chamber of Advocates files protest over alleged prison surveillance
The Chamber of Advocates has filed a judicial protest against the Prime Minister and several go...
15th June 2026
Updated - 1200
Fiscal Council Warns Malta’s €900 Million Investment Target Faces Significant Risks: The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that the government’s planned €900 mil...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
16th June 2026
GO ENERGI is offering households the opportunity to take advantage of the Government’s current grants to support PV systems and battery storage through a range of solar energy solutions ...
12th June 2026
Malta Public Transport announces a number of network adjustments in connection with the introduction of its Summer Schedule, aimed at meeting seasonal passenger demand and improving serv...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
8th June 2026
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
16th June 2026
GO ENERGI is offering households the opportunity to take advantage of the Government’s current grants to support PV systems and battery storage through a range of solar energy solutions ...
12th June 2026
Malta Public Transport announces a number of network adjustments in connection with the introduction of its Summer Schedule, aimed at meeting seasonal passenger demand and improving serv...
15th June 2026
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Te...
10th June 2026
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said Tehran was responsible for the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait o...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
9th February 2026
María Corina Machado is a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition. She has reported that one of her closest associates, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was abducted. This occurred mere hours afte...
16th June 2026
Ukraine is accelerating reforms to align its banking and insurance sectors with EU standards by 2028 despite wartime challenges, to buttress investor confidence and deepen economic inte...
15th June 2026
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history whose golden domes have towered over the capital for almost a millennium, was set ablaze on Monda...