Imagine sipping your morning coffee when the ground suddenly shudders and windows shake—across an entire city.
That’s exactly what happened in Rome on Friday when a massive explosion rocked the eastern suburb of Prenestino.
It injured 45 people and sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
The blast, triggered by a gas leak during refueling at a petrol and LNG station, occurred around 8:20 a.m.
It happened just minutes before dozens of children were due to arrive at a nearby summer camp.
“It would have been a massacre,” said Fabio Balzani, who runs the adjacent sports center.
Blast Felt Like A Bomb
Witnesses described the explosion as “like a bomb.”
One man suffered burns over 55% of his body, and two victims remain in critical condition.
Even seasoned emergency responders were caught in the chaos—21 of the injured include police and rescue workers.
Experts later confirmed the blast was a BLEVE—Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.
A BLEVE is a violent event where pressurized liquid rapidly vaporizes, creating a devastating shockwave.
Rome’s mayor surveyed the scorched ruins, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the swift actions of emergency crews.
As one survivor put it: “I felt my skin burning. I don’t know how I escaped.”
