Six people have died, including a British national, in an explosion that destroyed a building housing a holiday rental property in the historic centre of Athens.

Axar.az reports, citing BBC, that the blast on Friday happened in the Plaka area of the Greek capital, a neighbourhood close to tourist sites such as the Acropolis.

Four American holidaymakers were among the dead, along with a UK national and Greek national - reportedly an elderly couple who lived in the same building.

Pictures from the scene on Saturday showed emergency service workers searching through rubble, with a gas leak the suspected cause of the blast.

All six bodies had been recovered by Saturday afternoon. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said: "We are talking about an incredible disaster."

The tourists were confirmed to be missing when they did not arrive for their flight at Athens airport later on Friday, Reuters news agency reported citing local police.

The three-storey building completely collapsed due to the force of the blast, with neighbouring buildings damaged and debris scattered across the road.