ROME, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A residential building collapsed after an explosion in Bari, southern Italy, on Sunday, the ANSA news agency reported.

The blast is believed to have been caused by a gas leak. No casualties have been officially reported. But the local fire service said a number of people had been buried under the debris.

Household gas blasts in Italian towns are often caused by mishandling of gas containers, with most such accidents occurring in winter.