The explosion was heard across the Italian capital shortly after 8 a.m. local time and sent a huge cloud of dark smoke and fire that was visible from across the city.

Dozens of people were injured, including 10 police officers and a firefighter, officials said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear.

Over 40 people were injured following a blast at a petrol station in Rome, Italy on 4 July. The incident happened at a sit in the Prenestino neighbourhood after a tanker struck a pipe, causing a gas leak.