Barcelona  - Twenty-five people were injured early Wednesday in what was believed to have been a gas explosion in Gava near Barcelona in north-eastern Spain, a spokesman for emergency services said.

Seventeen of the victims sustained serious injuries. The victims included four young children.

The basement of the three-storey building was destroyed by fire, causing nearly the entire building to collapse.

Rescuers were looking for possible new victims under the rubble. Fifty residents of nearby buildings were preventatively evacuated. The causes of the accident were being investigated. (dpa)