The 40-year-old building has been completely shattered by the blast, which also damaged the neighboring houses. photo by elpais.es
A blast shattered a five-storey apartment building on Tuesday morning in the city of Palencia, northern Spain, killing at least three and injuring another 16, daily El Pais reported.
The explosion, which occurred around 6 am, local time, is thought to have been caused by a gas leak.
Rescue teams are currently searching for others that could be trapped under the remains of the building, whose exact number is unknown, officials said.
Mostly elderly people lived in the building, which was built around 40 years ago and was located in downtown Palencia.
It has been completely destroyed and other buildings within a radius of 200 metres have been damaged by the blast.