This is the moment when a gas explosion rips through a car, putting two people in hospital.

Shocking CCTV camera footage from the blast – at a petrol station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 26th July – shows the vehicle being blown to pieces.

According to local media reports, the car was being filled with compressed natural gas when an explosion was triggered by a rusty fuel tank.

The footage shows the car’s 67-year-old driver – named as Mario Magalhaes da Penha – being blown off his feet in the explosion.

The driver had gone to the boot while the car was being filled with gas.

But as he opened it up, it apparently triggered a massive blast, knocking him 10 feet backwards and destroying the entire car.

As he lies motionless on the forecourt, his clothes are in tatters and he seems to be covered in blood.

A woman at the front of the car – not named in local media – can be seen staggering from the blast with her hands clamped over her eyes.

The driver was rushed to Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery.

At the time of reporting, he remained in a serious condition.

The woman was taken to Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital, but her condition is unclear.

Following the blast, officials turned off the gas supply to the petrol station, which is located in the Sao Francisco Xavier neighbourhood.

One lane of the neighbouring road was also temporarily closed.

It is not clear if police will investigate the incident.