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12 May 2023
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Explosion in Milan city centre leaves vehicles engulfed in flames, Italy
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An explosion in the centre of Milan has left several vehicles engulfed in flames on Thursday, 11 May 2023. Video from the scene showed cars and motorbikes on fire in a street between two buildings, one of which is a pharmacy, with thick black smoke billowing from the blast. Fire fighters say one person was injured in the blast and a local kindergarten was evacuated as a precaution. Italian media reported that the explosion happened after a van carrying oxygen cylinders caught fire. The driver of the vehicle received burns to his hands in the blast, which happened in the northern city's Porta Romana neighbourhood. "The only injured person was the driver of the van carrying oxygen cylinders," explained Fire fighter Carlo Cardinali.
"He was on his way to a health facility nearby, a fairly normal phenomenon developed from the start: the van started to burn and the presence of oxygen accelerated the combustion."
The city's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, ruled out foul play and said the driver of the van had told the fire brigade the blaze had started in the engine. "He quickly grabbed the oxygen cylinders he was carrying... he tried to limit the damage but then there was an explosion," the mayor said.
He added the van driver had suffered minor injuries.
There were no reports of any deaths.
Local residents and teachers at the kindergarten say they thought the explosions were bombs and they had to try and keep the children calm throughout the incident. "The explosions were so strong we thought it was a bomb," says Barbara Coppola, a teacher at the school which was evacuated. "We were preparing some little presents for Mother's Day when we heard the first blast. The children were very frightened but they were all very disciplined. We left the building in an orderly manner," she added.
Sources: Vigili del Fuoco, Euro News, Sky News, The Telegraph
"He was on his way to a health facility nearby, a fairly normal phenomenon developed from the start: the van started to burn and the presence of oxygen accelerated the combustion."
The city's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, ruled out foul play and said the driver of the van had told the fire brigade the blaze had started in the engine. "He quickly grabbed the oxygen cylinders he was carrying... he tried to limit the damage but then there was an explosion," the mayor said.
He added the van driver had suffered minor injuries.
There were no reports of any deaths.
Local residents and teachers at the kindergarten say they thought the explosions were bombs and they had to try and keep the children calm throughout the incident. "The explosions were so strong we thought it was a bomb," says Barbara Coppola, a teacher at the school which was evacuated. "We were preparing some little presents for Mother's Day when we heard the first blast. The children were very frightened but they were all very disciplined. We left the building in an orderly manner," she added.
Sources: Vigili del Fuoco, Euro News, Sky News, The Telegraph