(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 9 - Florence Mayor Sara Funaro said Monday the situation was "very bad" after an explosion at an Eni fuel depot near the Tuscan capital that left two dead, three missing and nine injured.
    "The situation is very bad. There are already two deaths, there are still some missing, we are following the situation together with the prefecture and the municipalities of Calenzano and Prato," she said.
    "We have asked for news on the fumes situation, while waiting for answers from (regional environment agency) Arpat we invite everyone to be extremely cautious.
    "We have given our availability to immediately activate the possibility of having "psychological" support for family members.
    "At the moment we have no problems in Florence for the air, during the meeting they gave me initial reassurances.
    "We are ready to do what is necessary", she added.
    One of the injured men, a 50-year-old, said they had been thrown for several metres and he was still stunned.
    "I have never seen anything like it in my life, it seemed like thunder had passed through us".
    The man was in his office about 100 meters from the site of the explosion.
    He is one of the five injured who were transported directly from there to the emergency room of the Santo Stefano hospital in Prato.
    None of them suffered serious injuries, but only cuts and trauma that apparently will be reabsorbed in a few days.
    "We did not understand what happened, because it all happened in a few seconds. The explosion was so strong that it made us jump several meters inside our office, the windows broke and injured us. It was the most traumatic experience of my entire life. I am still stunned". (ANSA).