Rome explosion: Apocalyptic aftermath captured in images after terrifying blast

Apocalyptic sceneshave emerged of thegnarled ruins of a petrol station in Rome that exploded in a deafening fireball this morning.

Horns blared and residents ran through the inner city neighbourhood of Prenestino after a fuel tanker exploded after firefighters were called to reports of a collision between the tanker and a truck.

Concerns had been raised over the nearby nursery - where 15 children had just begun their school day - and whether the explosion would harm those living in the surrounding area.

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At least 21 people - eight of whom were police officers, a firefighter and another emergency services worker - have been injured but are understood to have avoided serious harm. The remaining victims were passersby and local residents.

The deafening roar of the blast jolted people awake, with some saying they feared the city was under attack, likening the sound to the detonation of a bomb.

The blaze is now thought to be under control, but thick plumes of black smoke can still be seen snaking into the skies over the depot.

In a series of apocalyptic images, firefighters can be seen walking among the gnarled metal frames of the building - the only thing that remains of where the petrol station once stood.

Firefighters were called to a petrol station on Via dei Goridani this morning after receiving reports of a truck hitting a pipeline, Sky News Italy reports.

It was while working there that the tanker exploded - injuring members of the public and the emergency services.

One local resident claims to have been awoken by the sound of the blast. They told Italian outlet La Repubblica: "I woke up with a start, I heard a very loud explosion, it sounded like a bomb."

"We didn't understand what it was, all the glass shook. It could have been a bomb, an earthquake, we didn't understand. Then from the smoke, we realized it was an explosion," Francesco, a resident of a nearby building, told Il Messaggero.

Another believed the sound came from "an earthquake" after "all the windows" in their building started shaking.

The petrol station is situated in a populated residential area and sits close to a nursery and sports club, according to Italian daily, Corriere.

The newspaper added that witnesses reported seeing a fire first, before hearing two almost consecutive explosions - the second of which was the most powerful.

Initial reports suggest the victims miraculously survived without sustaining serious injuries. The nearby nursery, Villa De Sanctis, had just started the school day with 15 children in at the time. Thankfully, they were unharmed and the school was evacuated as a precaution.