At least one person is dead and several more are injured after an explosion in an Italian tourist town caused a building to suddenly collapse.
The lifeless body of a man was pulled from the rubble after a two-storey building in Porto Sant ‘Elpidio was rocked by a fierce blast caused by a suspected gas leak at around 6am on Saturday.
Two families were inside the property when the blast sent shockwaves through the town this morning, prompting a swift emergency response.
A child was also among those trapped in the rubble, as well the victim’s elderly parents, who were treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital.
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A woman was also caught in the blast, before being airlifted to a hospital in nearby Torrette di Ancona.
Another woman is still believed to be trapped amongst the wreckage, and firefighters have deployed drones, dogs and excavators in a desperate search to find her.
The building was completely obliterated by the blast, local news reports, also shattering the windows of shops and building in the nearby area.