At least two people have been killed and more than 60 others injured after two trucks collided on a motorway near Bologna airport in northern Italy.
A lorry carrying cars collided on a bridge with a tanker lorry containing flammable materials, local reports said.
The blast, which engulfed the area with flames and black smoke and caused a bridge to partially collapse, occurred near Borgo Panigale to the west of the city, the Italian fire service tweeted.
#BorgoPanigale #6ago 15.00, squadre #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro: inviate sul posto sezioni operative, nucleo #usar e #cinofili. In corso la ricognizione aerea elicottero reparto volo di Bologna pic.twitter.com/TtPdGSFWz1
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) August 6, 2018
Italian media reported that many of the injured were hit by debris and glass after the explosion.
Firefighters have since extinguished the blaze, a spokesman said, adding that efforts were under way to ascertain the cause of the explosion and the number of victims.
A video published on Twitter by the fire service showed a huge column of black smoke billowing from the wreckage of the truck on the city’s ring road.
#6ago 14:00, esplosione di un’autocisterna sul raccordo #Casalecchio #A14 nei pressi di #BorgoPanigale: squadre sul posto, intervento in corso pic.twitter.com/PmRIBgzMWN
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) August 6, 2018
Images released earlier by the fire service showed burning cars in an adjacent car park.
