Ankara - A three-storey dormitory building collapsed in central Turkey early Friday morning killing 13 people and injuring 22, the NTV television station reported.

A gas cannister explosion was the most likely reason for the building to collapse at around 5 a. m. (0200 GMT) Friday morning, according to the mayor of the nearby town of Balcilar, Mehmet Demirgul.

Around 60 girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were staying at the dormitory in the Taskent region of Konya where they were attending summer Koran courses.

Rescue teams joined locals in a frantic attempt to reach at least seven or eight students still trapped under the rubble. Taskent mayor Abdulbaki Acet told NTV that rescuers could hear the voices of two or three girls trapped. (dpa)