At least four people were confirmed dead Monday in an explosion that caused a building collapse in Leicester, Britain, police said.
Four people remain in the hospital and only one has serious injuries, authorities said in a statement.
"We believe there may be people who have not yet been accounted for and rescue efforts continue in order to locate any further casualties," Leicestershire Superintendent Shane O'Neill said.
Matt Cane, a group manager at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said people could be trapped in "voids" in the building.
"There is a possibility that there could be voids and areas of the building where people could still be alive following the collapse," Cane said.
The Leicestershire Police Department said in a statement that an investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing and that they do not believe it is terror-related at this time.
The blast occurred at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday evening in the central England city, located east of Birmingham.
Resident Angel Namaala told the BBC she heard "this big thud, like an earthquake."
"The building had gone down and people were trying to help where they could by taking the bricks off," Namaala said. "But the fire was getting bigger and bigger so people were told to leave the scene."
Electrical damages from the blast affected a number of homes, but no neighboring properties were evacuated.
Witness Tahir Khan told the Guardian that she was driving by the building when the blast happened.
"Loads of people were gathered and there was gas and flames coming out of the building," Khan said. "I looked on the road and half the building was on the road. Literally the whole of the side of the building had been blown out. I couldn't believe it, it was like a Hollywood movie."
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This article has been adapted from its original source.
