Images from the scene show an enormous orange fireball in the sky over the Rome suburb of Prenestino
Firefighters are working to contain a blaze in Rome after a massive expolosion.
Images from the scene show an enormous orange fireball in the sky, and videos show a huge plume of dark grey smoke billowing over buildings in Rome.
Eight police officers and one firefighter were reportedly injured in the explosion, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as fire crews continue to work to put out the blaze.
According to social media testimony reported by the Italian newspaper, a fire broke out at first, followed by two explosions in quick succession around 8.18am local time – the second explosion was the biggest.
The explosion occurred near via de Gordiani 32 in the district of Prenestino, in Rome’s southeast.
There is a nursery and sports club nearby, and police are continuing to check the area for further damage.