Three people were injured in an explosion on a residential street in Rome, according to multiple reports. Dozens of people were evacuated after the explosion, which occurred on Sunday afternoon. The explosion tore through three apartment buildings in Piana del Sole on the outskirts of Rome, affecting multiple structures.
The explosion occurred in a building that is now completely destroyed, according to the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri. Debris was strewn up to 300 meters away. Gualtieri described the power of the explosion as quite impressive. A resident recounted, 'We heard a deafening bang coming from the house across from ours: debris struck everything — the large window, my son's car, the gate — everything was destroyed.' Another resident added, 'Fortunately, my wife, the dog, and I are fine.'
We heard a deafening bang coming from the house across from ours: debris struck everything — the large window, my son's car, the gate — everything was destroyed.
The owners of the property where the gas cylinders were buried were among those taken to Sant'Eugenio Hospital, multiple reports indicate. Married couple Michele De Bari, 84, and Chiara De Bari, 86, received 20% burns and are in critical condition. A 24-year-old man was taken to hospital after being pulled from the rubble. The current condition and prognosis of the three injured individuals have not been disclosed.
Seventy people were instructed to evacuate by emergency services. The surrounding buildings are damaged, with some set to be uninhabitable, according to Gualtieri. How many people will need to be permanently relocated due to uninhabitable buildings remains unclear.
Fortunately, my wife, the dog, and I are fine.
Firefighters will determine the cause of the explosion, Gualtieri said. It appears to be a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder in one of the houses, he noted. The explosion is believed to have been caused by the detonation of gas cylinders buried in a property's rear garden, according to multiple reports. Intense heat and leaky pressure release valves are frequent causes of LPG tank explosions. The exact cause of the gas cylinder detonation, such as a specific trigger like heat or valve failure, is under investigation. Gualtieri stated, 'I want to extend my thoughts to the injured, wishing them a speedy recovery, and I want to thank the firefighters, local police, Civil Protection, and healthcare workers, as well as the City Council and the president, who are all here to offer support and assistance to those in need. We won't leave them alone.' What measures are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future have not been specified.