A large fire broke out at 2.50pm (Greece time) in an eight-storey building in Rome, in the Colli Aniene area, with Italian media reporting at least 12 people with injuries, burns and breathing problems.

The building was undergoing renovations.

Six teams of firefighters are working at the scene. The fire has reached the seventh floor.

So far the cause of the fire remains unknown, with witnesses reporting that they heard an explosion before the fire. The fire is believed to have been caused by a leak of natural gas or some flammable insulation material due to the renovation work.