At least 7 people have died following a gas explosion in an apartment block in Presov, eastern Slovakia.

The fire ripped through the top 5 floors of the 12-storey building on Friday, causing the ceiling and the staircase to cave in. The flames were extinguished completely Saturday morning and all those in the building were evacuated, said the Slovakian fire brigade.

Alena Krcova, spokeswoman for the rescue services said at least 40 people are injured but no one is in a life-threatening condition. She warned, however, the number of the dead and injured is not final.

Mayor Andrea Turcanova said all those evacuated have now been allocated in nearby schools.

The Slovakian Police Force said the situation was very serious and it was the worst accident in the area for at least 5 decades.

The Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini is now heading to the site.