A powerful explosion at a gas station in Rome’s Prenestino district early Friday morning has left multiple people injured and triggered a large-scale emergency response.
The blast occurred on Via dei Gordiani, near Villa De Sanctis, around 8:00 a.m., and was followed by a massive fire and a second explosion that sent debris flying across the neighborhood, News.Az reports, citing Roma Today.
Witnesses reported a strong smell of gas moments before the first explosion, which was followed by a fire and a second, even larger blast. The shockwave shattered windows and set off alarms across Rome, with reports of the explosion being heard from neighborhoods as far as Laurentino, Val Melaina, Nomentano, and EUR.
“The tennis court looks like a battlefield, full of debris. Sheet metal was flying everywhere,” one resident said. “It looked like an atomic mushroom cloud,” a first responder told RomaToday. Another added, “I woke up with a start, it felt like a bomb. The windows shook—I thought it was an earthquake.”
At least 10 people were injured, including eight police officers, a firefighter, and a paramedic. Five of the injured were transported to local hospitals—three to Umberto I and two to San Giovanni—with minor burns and cuts from shattered glass. The situation remains fluid, and the number of injured could rise.
Rome's civil protection, fire brigade, national police, carabinieri, and local municipal officers from the Prenestino division quickly arrived at the scene. Seven ambulances were dispatched from across the city, while firefighters were also sent in from nearby provinces including Terni, Latina, Frosinone, and L’Aquila.
A double mobile medical unit has been set up at the site to support the overwhelmed emergency services.
The city activated its emergency response plan approximately 30 minutes after the initial explosion. Major hospitals, Casilino, San Giovanni, Umberto I, and Gemelli—activated PEIMAF protocols, designed to handle mass casualty incidents such as natural disasters and large-scale explosions.
In addition, around 40 residents trapped inside a nearby building on Via Romolo Balzani were rescued after flames reached their structure. A nearby summer center at Villa De Sanctis, with 15 children inside, was evacuated as a precaution.
Authorities have closed the Teano metro station on Line C as a precautionary measure. Several roads in the area have also been shut, including Via dei Gordiani from Via Casilina to Via Checco Durante and a stretch of Via Casilina itself. Local police are on-site to redirect traffic and support evacuation efforts.
Initial reports suggest the incident may have started when a truck collided with a gas pipe at the station during an LPG refueling operation. The first explosion occurred as emergency personnel were arriving on scene. The fire then spread to nearby areas, including a judicial storage facility on Via Artena, creating three separate fire fronts: the station, Via Balzani, and Via Artena.
The president of Rome's 5th Municipality, Mauro Caliste, urged residents to stay away from the area. "As a precaution, it's advisable to leave the area. No onlookers near the explosion site," he said in a social media post. Rome’s peripheral affairs councilor Giuseppe Battaglia was also on the scene, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is reportedly monitoring the situation closely. Palazzo Chigi confirmed that she has spoken with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and is in regular contact with emergency officials.
Authorities are continuing to assess structural damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. The full extent of the explosion’s impact is still being determined, and investigations are underway to establish the precise cause of the incident.
