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WILDFIRES

Two hospitalised as wildfire breaks out near Rome

Thick clouds of smoke were reported over the Italian capital on Monday afternoon as a large wildfire took hold on the north-western edge of the city.

Published: 27 June 2022 17:22 CEST
Two hospitalised as wildfire breaks out near Rome
A firefighter sprays water as a wildfire rages near Rome. File photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Photos and video taken by Rome residents on Wednesday afternoon show thick clouds of smoke, with the fire visible from the western side of the city’s ring road, or GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare).

Firefighters are working to contain the blaze, which is reportedly spreading in the area between the major roads Via Aurelia and Via di Casalotti.

A mother and her baby were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation while 35 others were treated at the scene, according to local news reports.

Several homes and a summer camp have so far been evacuated, according to reports.

Explosions were heard as the fire reached warehouses in an industrial area west of the capital, reports Rai News, thought to be caused as the fire reached dozens of gas cylinders kept at a campervan storage facility.

The fire brigade said in a tweet that several teams were at the scene of the explosions.

Firefighters said the blaze was becoming less intense at around 5pm on Monday, but that it was still spreading due to high winds.

A prolonged heatwave and a severe drought have caused extremely dry conditions across much of Italy, including Lazio, the region around Rome.

READ ALSO: Italian wildfires ‘three times worse’ than average as heatwave continues

This story is being updated…

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ROME

Rome’s public transport fares set to rise this summer

The cost of Rome’s bus, metro and tram tickets was expected to increase this summer under a new pricing plan, according to Italian media reports.

Published: 16 April 2024 16:08 CEST
Rome’s public transport fares set to rise this summer

The cost of a ticket will go from €1.50 to €2 as of July 1st when new pricing is set to come in for Rome’s public transport system, according to local newspaper RomaToday.

The published plan for the new ticket prices was drafted by Lazio regional coach company Cotral, a partner in the capital’s Metrebus service along with Trenitalia and Rome transport provider ATAC.

While the 100-minute ticket will see a 50-cent increase to €2, the price of daily tickets will go up from €7 to €9.30. 

The two-day ticket would jump from €12.50 to €16.70 and the 72-hour ticket goes from €18 to €24.

Weekly tickets rise by €8 to €32. Monthly passes remain unchanged at the usual €35 fee.

The cost of a yearly pass meanwhile drops by €10 to €240.

Talk of raising Rome’s public transport prices has been ongoing for years; the last time bus and metro tickets were increased was in 2012, from €1 to €1.50.

The latest announcement came exactly one year after ATAC announced Rome transport fees would not be raised as planned following an intervention by Lazio regional authorities.

But the price increase was expected to go ahead this year, with Rome currently preparing its public transport network for increased visitor numbers ahead of the Vatican’s 2025 Jubilee.

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