5 killed, 1 injured by gas leak blast in northern Italy

Five people were killed and one seriously injured as a building collapsed early on Saturday following a big blast caused by a gas leak in Arnasco, a town in northwestern Italy, local media said.

Four Italian men aged between 49 and 76 and a 56-year-old Moroccan woman were found dead under debris. Three of the victims were living in the building, the others were visitors, according to local newspaper Il Secolo XIX.

Another woman of South American origin was extracted alive by rescue teams. She was rushed to hospital but her conditions appeared desperate, rescuers said.

The explosion, which was heard up to 8 km away, flattened a two-storey building dating back to more than 100 years ago, and damaged around 10 others, firefighters said.

Arnasco has just slightly more than 600 inhabitants.

"The blast occurred in a four-apartment building and was a violent one. I was informed around 3:00 a.m.," Arnasco Mayor Alfredo Gallizia, who immediately rushed to the spot, was quoted by ANSA news agency as saying.

"I had seen something like that just in movies ... some houses in the surrounding area had their windows smashed. The building fell to pieces, the rooms were filled with gas," Gallizia added.

A man living in the neighborhood, Michele Becchio, said he heard a terrible roar and went down the street.

"Windows smashed, our children were frightened. I went out and I saw that a nearby building had totally collapsed. This is a sorrowful day for our town, we are shocked," he said.

Around 15 residents were reportedly evacuated from nearby buildings and will be not allowed to spend the night at home for security reasons.

"We are going to host them in hotels in the neighborhoods. We are also at work to restore viability and ordinary activities in Arnasco," said Giovanni Toti, President of Liguria region where Arnasco is located.

Investigators were at work to ascertain the causes and responsibilities of the deadly blast, local authorities said. Endit