Staff ReporterAccording to reports the Pope is inside the Vatican, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church . PLUMES of dark smoke can be seen rising from the walled city, in Rome, as a fire rages near the religious site.
Alarming footage from the scene shows black smoke pouring into the sky at a considerable rate.
Visitors have taken to social media to express their shock at the scenes unfolding in the city.
One person simply tweeted: “Vatican on fire”.
Plumes of dark smoke can be seen rising from the walled city
nother said: “Possible explosion at the Vatican.”A third posted online: “Currently a major fire (near the #Vatican), heavy smoke, big column of smoke rises up into the sky.”One eyewitness said they saw smoke, adding: “Then a few minutes later there was a loud boom and more smoke”.
VATICAN IN FLAMES: Fire and thick black smoke billowing above Pope’s walled city
Thick black smoke pours into Rome sky near the Vatican pic.twitter.com/yBGBH239Ax— Report Focus News (@ReportFocus) 1 June 2017
I’ve heard lots of sirens.”The smoke was drifting high over my apartment.”
Photos show a fire raging behind a building, and it is said to have taken hold in the Primavalle district of Rome.
The fire is said to be coming from a neighbourhood behind the Vatican, and the blaze is not inside the city walls.Local reports indicate the fire is at a nearby car pound, and has “shrouded a building”.
The home of the Pontiff, the Vatican is the smallest country in the world measuring just 0.2 square miles.
