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.

At least 29 people have been injured after a huge explosion at a Rome petrol station caused widespread damage.Reports say emergency services were already at the scene in the Prenestino neighbourhood on Friday after a tanker truck hit a pipe while manoeuvring,