At least 24 killed in underground Taiwan gas explosions

Taiwan's president promised "tough measures" to prevent an incident like the gas blasts which rocked the port city of Kaohsiung from happening again.

Speaking on local television, Ma Ying-jeou said: "We will make further arrangements and inspections to avoid this kind of disaster from occurring again,"

Rescue authorities said police and soldiers had been drafted in to help firefighters after the midnight explosion and blaze gutted a district in the port city of Kaohsiung packed with shops and apartment buildings.

At least 25 people were killed by the gas leak, including four firefighters and 267 were injured by the blast.

At least 24 people have been killed and 271 injured in a series of massive underground gas blasts in Taiwan.

The fires are believed to have been caused by a leak of propene, often known as propylene, a petrochemical material not intended for public use.

Emergency services are still looking for people they believe are trapped under the rubble.

Residents who live along the pipelines have been asked to evacuate.

A series of underground gas explosions in Taiwan have killed 20 people and injured 270 more.

Five firefighters, who were investigating reports of a gas leak at the time, were among the dead, the National Fire Agency said

Taiwan's premier Jiang Yi-huah said at least five blasts shook the streets of Kaohsiung, a south-western port city of 2.8 million.

The source of the leak had not yet been located but Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu said several petrochemical companies had pipelines built along the sewage system in Chian-Chen district, which has both factories and residential buildings.

"Our priority is to save people now. We ask citizens living along the pipelines to evacuate," Mr Chen told TVBS television.

Pictures taken after a number of gas explosions tore through Taiwan show the devastation and damage to buildings that killed at least 15 people and injured hundreds.

A witness has recorded what appears to be the the moments after a series of blasts in Taiwan. The footage shows jets of fire burning in the road and an abandoned motor scooter. This video has not been independently verified by ITV News.

Video - which has not been independently verified by ITV News - appears to show gas pipes exploding in Taiwan and later captures jets of fire shooting up from the street.

After around 46 seconds on a video posted on YouTube, following an initial explosion, jets of flame begin to burst from the road.

Read: 15 dead in massive Taiwan gas explosions

Taiwan authorities received calls from residents in Kaohsiung's Cianjhen district about suspected gas leaks, AFP reported. The leak triggered a series of explosions that were powerful enough to rip open roads and overturn cars.

The fire agency said in a statement: "The local fire department received calls of gas leaks late Thursday and then there was a series of blasts around midnight affecting a area of two to three square kilometres." Emergency workers rushed to the scene and were removing bodies from the area.

The first pictures have begun to emerge of the aftermath of an explosion caused by a gas leak which is reported to have killed up 15 people and injured hundreds more in Taiwan.

Some 15 people have been reported dead and 228 injured in gas explosions in the Taiwan city of Kaohsiung, AP is reporting.

Read: 15 dead in massive Taiwan gas explosions

A major gas explosion has been reported in Taiwan by AFP and is believed to have left 212 injured with casualties feared.