Prague - A large explosion has damaged a building in the centre of the Czech capital Prague.

The area around the explosion in Divadelni St has been sealed off by police. Up to 40 people have been injured by the blast, emergency services say, four of them seriously.

Prague's mayor told Czech radio three people may be trapped in the rubble.

Police say that the blast, which blew the windows out of nearby buildings, was most likely caused by a gas leak.

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The site of the explosion is close to the Vltava river, and near the country's National Theatre.

Neighbouring buildings have been evacuated.

A police spokesman said that there had been about 15 people in the building, which included an office of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and an art gallery, Reuters news agency reports.

The building also housed a film school and the social sciences faculty of the city's Charles University.

"We heard a strong explosion and we felt the building tremble and the windows shake," eyewitness Jaroslav Faltus told the BBC.

BBC News