Two people have been kiled and nine others injured after an explosion at a storage facility owned by an oil company near Florence.
Pictured shared on social media showed a plume of smoke rising from the explosion sight in the in Calenzano, a town some 18 miles from Florence, Italy on Monday morning.
Local media reported that the loud explosion rocked the building, owned by Italian oil industry company Eni, was heard from miles away shortly after 10am local time.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, with the local hospital activating a plan for a “massive influx of injured”, according to local media.
However, at least two people have been killed and a further nine injured in the explosion, with the Calenzano government confirming four people are still missing.
In a statement shared to its website, it urged people to avoid the area while the fire brigade continues its operation.
Residents of Campi Bisenzio, a town five miles away from Calenzano, were told to close their windows in order to protect themselves from the fumes and to avoid going outside.
Regional trains from between Florence and Prato have also been disrupted as Calenzano station is closed.
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