UPDATE 2 - At least 50 injured in gas station explosion in Rome

CHANGES NUMBER OF INJURED, CHANGES LEDE, HEADLINE; OTHER EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ilayda Cakirtekin and Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - An explosion at a gas station in southeastern Rome injured at least 50 people on Friday, according to Italian news agency RAI.

The explosion injured at least 50 people, including rescue workers, with two of them in critical condition, according to RAI, updating an earlier casualty count.

Roberto Massucci, Rome's police commissioner, said the "serious" fire may have been caused by an accident during the unloading of LPG, while Ennio Aquilino, the regional fire chief of Lazio, said it was caused by a malfunction.

The explosion damaged several nearby buildings, and the fire spread to a judicial warehouse behind the station.

Some 200 people were evacuated.

Firefighters were already on site responding to a separate fire when the explosion occurred.

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, wrote on X that she is "closely" following the aftermath of the explosion while remaining in close contact with relevant authorities.

"I express my solidarity with all those injured – including police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel – and extend heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the rescue and safety operations," she said.