Scottish tourist seriously injured in hospital after Rome explosion
A Scottish tourist is seriously injured in hospital after a gas explosion destroyed a three-storey B&B in Rome.
Grant Paterson, 54, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, has reportedly been left severely burned after the explosion in the Monteverde area of the city at about 8.30am on Saturday.
Mr Paterson was pulled out of the ruins conscious but is believed to have suffered third degree burns to 75% of his body, according to local news site Roma Today.
He is understood to be receiving treatment at Sant'Eugenio hospital.
Social media posts show Mr Paterson arrived in Rome last week for a holiday and had visited famous sites such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon before Saturday's incident.
He wrote: 'Arrived in Rome, trains, planes, buses and foot … Accommodation is beautiful. This should be a good week … if I don't get killed in some ungodly way …'
Roberto Gualtieri, the Mayor of Rome, visited the scene and told reporters he has ordered a full investigation into the explosion.
He said: 'The important thing is that fortunately there are no victims, although unfortunately one person was seriously injured.
'Most likely he is a guest of a hospitality facility, of Scottish origin. We don't know his exact condition, but he suffered burns, and this also suggests that it was an explosion caused by gas, which also causes flames.
'It was a very loud explosion, a building collapsed and the wall of Villa Pamphili was also damaged.'
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who has been hospitalised in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities.'
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