A powerful explosion at a petrol and liquified natural gas (LNG) station in the Prenestino suburb of Rome left 45 people injured on Friday morning, sending a fireball and thick black smoke into the sky and sparking widespread alarm across the Italian capital.
The blast occurred at approximately 8:20 a.m. local time (0620 GMT), following a gas leak that ignited during refueling. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who visited the site shortly afterward, confirmed that emergency services were already on the scene investigating the leak when the explosion happened.
Among those injured were 21 emergency responders, including 12 police officers, Rome police told AFP. Two victims were reported to be in life-threatening condition, with one suffering burns over more than half his body, according to local health officials.
The explosion, which tore through the fueling station and an adjacent sports centre, was so loud that it was heard miles away. Shaken residents described the blast as resembling a bomb going off. Many had their windows rattled or broken, and some feared a terrorist attack.
“I was 15 metres from the petrol station… it exploded in front of me. I don’t know how I managed to run, to escape,” said Michele Secu, a 23-year-old employee at the sports centre. “The explosion was really powerful. I felt my skin burning.”
Authorities confirmed that the immediate area had been evacuated ahead of the blast, including a nearby children’s summer camp, potentially saving dozens of young lives. Fabio Balzani, head of the sports facility, revealed that around 60 children were expected at the camp and 120 people had booked to use the swimming pool as a refuge from the intense heatwave gripping the city.
“It would have been a massacre, a catastrophe,” Balzani said, emphasizing how the timing of the explosion averted a much worse tragedy.
Rome’s Carabinieri chief, Andrea Quattrocchi, praised the bravery and swift action of his officers. He noted that his team managed to pull a man alive from a car engulfed in flames before rushing him to the hospital. Witnesses also reported that an ambulance exploded during the fire.
According to regional fire chief Ennio Aquilino, the explosion was identified as a BLEVE — a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. This type of blast occurs when a vessel containing a pressurized liquid ruptures, causing a rapid vaporization and a forceful, bomb-like effect.
“The effect is as if a bomb has gone off,” Aquilino explained, noting the immense power of the explosion and the scale of the destruction.
The site was left in ruins, charred and smoldering as investigators and emergency teams continued their work.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed sympathy for the injured and lauded the quick and courageous response of firefighters, police, and medical teams. She remarked that the tragedy, while devastating, could have claimed far more lives if not for the preparedness of those on the ground.
What you should know
The explosion in eastern Rome’s Prenestino neighborhood was caused by a BLEVE — a catastrophic type of blast resulting from the rupture of a liquified gas container.
Though 45 people were injured, swift evacuation and emergency response likely prevented a far more devastating outcome, especially with a children’s summer camp and swimming facility nearby.
