At least 21 individuals sustained injuries following an explosion at a petrol and LPG station in the Centocelle district of southeast Rome, Italy, on Friday, resulting in considerable damage to surrounding buildings and vehicles, as reported by Euronews.

According to Euronews, referencing the Rome fire brigade, the explosion took place around 8:20 am (local time) during a refueling operation and was allegedly caused by a technical malfunction.
While five people were hospitalized with minor burns and injuries from broken glass, none of the injuries were deemed serious.

The blast, which was powerful enough to be heard throughout the city and produced a large plume of smoke, also affected residents in nearby apartments, Euronews reported.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri confirmed that local police and firefighters were already on the scene responding to a reported gas leak when two additional explosions occurred upon their arrival.
Among those initially injured were eight police officers, a firefighter, and an emergency responder, all of whom suffered burns.

“There were several chain explosions following the first one… All the injured policemen suffered burns, but their lives are not in danger,” a spokesperson for the Roman police stated, as quoted by Euronews, citing Italian state broadcaster RAI.

Eyewitnesses recounted a series of chain explosions, with the force damaging nearby structures and igniting fires that spread to a law enforcement storage facility located behind the station. The area has been cordoned off as emergency teams continue their firefighting efforts, which have been complicated by an ongoing heatwave affecting Rome, Euronews reported.

Residents compared the shock of the explosion to that of an earthquake, and authorities are now awaiting official reports from emergency services to initiate a formal investigation into the incident.