A truck exploded near Bologna airport, sending a giant fireball and a plume of black smoke into the sky

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• A truck exploded on a motorway near Bologna Airport on Monday.
• It was an accident, but at least 55 people have reportedly been injured and one death has been reported.
• Two more cars on the motorway also blew up after the truck's combustion, according to Italian media.

A truck exploded on a motorway near Bologna Airport, sending a giant fireball and a plume of black smoke into the sky.

The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time in Borgo Panigale, an area on Bologna's outskirts, Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

The truck was likely carrying flammable material, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported.

Following the truck's combustion, two more cars on the motorway also blew up, causing multiple explosions, according to La Repubblica. The newspaper described the episode as "an apocalyptic scenario."

At least 55 people have been injured, and debris from the vehicles hit some of houses and buildings nearby, according to La Repubblica. They also reported one fatality, though information is still unconfirmed.

Bologna Airport confirmed the explosion but said it had not been involved or affected. It added that flights would continue to run regularly. Local police closed the road in both directions, the Evening Standard reported.

Watch the dramatic scene unfold from various angles in the photos and videos below: