Scottish tourist seriously injured in hospital after Rome explosion

Grant Paterson, 54, from East Kilbride, has reportedly been left severely burned after the blast.

Ruined building and debris — Emergency services at the scene after an explosion at a building thought to be a gas leak, in Via Pio Foa and Via Vitellia, in Rome (Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse via AP/PA)

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, a CalMac employee, 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.

Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and emergency service workers at the scene of the collapsed building — Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri visits the scene (Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse via AP/PA)

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.”

Mr Paterson’s CalMac colleagues offered their support to him and his family.

Duncan Mackison, chief executive of CalMac, said: “We were shocked and saddened to hear that our colleague, Grant, has been critically injured on holiday.

“We have reached out to offer our support to Grant’s family, and our thoughts are with Grant and his family at this difficult time.”

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.”

A JustGiving page has been set up to raise funds for Mr Paterson’s medical costs.

By around 6.15pm on Monday, it had amassed more than £2,500 in donations.

Donations can be made to Mr Paterson at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/m-beaton-1?utm_term=X4rXaDZv5