Several buildings in Japan have collapsed - gas explosion suspected

More than 40 people have been injured in an explosion at a bar in the Northern Japanese city of Sapporo,  according to several media. Several buildings have allegedly collapsed in the Toyohira-hu district.



It is currently not clear what caused the explosion.



Photos from the news agency Kyodo News show the devastation after the explosion that occurred at 20.30 on Sunday, local time. The pressure wave spread to spread over a large area.

At least 41 people have been reported injured, with one person in critical condition, metro fire department officials said.

From the heavily damaged structure, several people were rushed to hospital by ambulance as fire and smoke rose from it.

Eyewitnesses reported smelling gas in the area right after the explosion.

The police have no information about what may have caused  the explosion, writes Kyodo News.



According to the police, one of the victims of the explosion has suffered serious injuries, reports the BBC.  The news agency also reports the current theory is that there has been a gas explosion.



The fire department has warned people in the area that more explosions may occur.

The photos in this posts are from Twitter.