A serious accident occurred in Rome on Friday morning. At around eight o'clock in the Villa De Sanctis district, there was a massive explosion at a petrol and liquid gas station in Via dei Gordiani. A strong smell of gas had previously been noticeable in the area. After the first detonation, a fire broke out, followed by another explosion that caused a thick cloud of smoke and flames that were visible in several parts of the city.
Numerous emergency services were deployed at the scene of the accident, including firefighters, civil defense volunteers, state police officers, carabinieri and officers from the local Prenestino police unit. According to information so far, at least twenty people were injured, some of them seriously. Many of the injured suffered burns.
The residents initially sought shelter in the nearby sports center and then retreated further into an adjacent park. The injured include at least one firefighter, several paramedics and eight police officers. Passers-by and residents of the neighboring Via Romolo Balzani were also injured. Around forty people had to be rescued from a building engulfed in flames.
About half an hour after the first emergency services arrived, the municipal emergency plan was activated. Additional emergency services were alerted in order to bring the situation under control. All of the city's emergency rooms were informed in order to prepare for a larger number of casualties.
According to available information, the so-called "Peimaf" plan was triggered in several hospitals, including Casilino, San Giovanni, Umberto I and Gemelli University Hospital. This plan regulates procedures and resources for the treatment of numerous injured people, as required after disasters or major accidents. The emergency services also set up two medical care points directly on site in order to be able to provide first aid quickly.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation. It is being investigated whether the current high temperatures in Rome could have played a role. The road had to be cordoned off on a large scale, causing considerable traffic disruption.
