Avan carrying oxygen cylinders exploded in a residential neighbourhood of Milan on Thursday, destroying around a dozen cars but only causing injuries to the driver, who escaped with light burns.
Officials quickly ruled out a terror attack after smoked billowed from several vehicles on fire south-east of the Italian city’s cathedral following the explosion around midday.
Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters: “It’s a van carrying oxygen cylinders.”
Fire service officer Carlo Cardinali confirmed the vehicle had been carrying oxygen, and said the exact cause of the blast was still being investigated.
“At the moment, only the driver” had reported injuries, he told journalists at the scene, and he managed to escape with “light burns”.
Another fire service spokesman earlier told the AFP news agency the person hurt had injuries to their arms and legs.
Related video: Video shows vehicles in flames after explosion in central Milan (Dailymotion) “I heard three big explosions and more that followed,” Giuseppe, a 39-year-old labourer working on a site nearby, he said.
“I came straight away to see what was happening, and the whole street was on fire, people were running.”
Footage published by the fire service suggested a powerful blast, showing what it said were about a dozen parked cars that had been completely burned out.
On the street between them, several canisters were visible next to the remains of a destroyed vehicle.
Buildings in the immediate vicinity were evacuated, including a school, while damage was reported to a nearby pharmacy and two apartments. The vehicle exploded in the Porta Romana area, triggering “domino explosions”.—APP
