Major explosion on motorway near Bologna leaves two dead and more than 60 injured

Agence France-Presse
Updated
The explosion occurred near Borgo Paginale to west of the city, close to Bologna airport - AFP
The explosion occurred near Borgo Paginale to west of the city, close to Bologna airport - AFP

A tanker truck exploded on a motorway just outside the northern Italian city of Bologna on Monday, engulfing the area with flames and black smoke, the fire service said, with local media reporting one person killed.

The explosion occurred near Borgo Paginale to west of the city, very close to Bologna airport, at around 2.00 pm (12pm GMT), the Italian fire service said on Twitter.

The cause of the blast is not yet known.

Italian news agency Ansa has reported that two people died and more than 60 others were injured following the blast.

A video published on Twitter by the Italian fire service shows a huge column of black smoke billowing from the wreckage of the truck on the city's ring road.

The cause of the blast is not yet known - Credit: @giornaleprociv / Twitter
The cause of the blast is not yet known Credit: @giornaleprociv / Twitter

Images released earlier by the fire service showed burning cars in an adjacent carpark.

Firefighters work on the motorway - Credit:  REUTERS
Firefighters work on the motorway Credit: REUTERS

One video filmed by a motorist circulating on Twitter shows the moment the tanker exploded, when a black plume of smoke was suddenly swept away by a powerful ball of flame that takes over the entire horizon.