Building collapse kills boy and parents

A two-storey building collapsed early today in a small town in north-western Italy, killing a couple and their five-year-old son and injuring one man, Italian news reports said.

The building in Vezzano Ligure, a town about 50 miles south of Genoa, collapsed at around 2am, the ANSA and AGI news agencies reported.

The victims were caught in their sleep.

The injured man was reported to have been taken to hospital in Genoa in a serious condition.

Police suspect the collapse was triggered by a gas leak, according to the reports.