At least one person has died and five more are missing after an explosion destroyed a building in the historic centre of Athens.

The blast happened in the Plaka area of the Greek capital, a neighbourhood close to tourist sites such as the Acropolis, with local media reporting the building housed a holiday rental.

Four American tourists, one British national and a Greek national are said to the people involved - though that has not been confirmed by authorities.

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

The body of a woman was found on Saturday morning, with the search ongoing.

The tourists were confirmed to be missing when they did not arrive for their flight at Athens airport, 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.

Excavators and thermal imaging cameras have been used at the scene to search for survivors.

The explosion happened on a small road situated between two of Athens' most visited sites - the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

BBC News has contacted the UK Foreign Office.