At least two killed and dozens injured in Italy after blast spreads fire and debris

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

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.

Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) #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

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.

Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) #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

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