ROME, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Eight people, including two children, are missing, after the partial collapse of a four-storey residential building in the town of Torre Annunziata near Naples on Friday.

The third and fourth floors of the building collapsed at 6:20 am local time (0420 GMT), while residents were still sleeping, local media reported. Two families are missing, including a couple with two children aged about 10 years, according to RAI News24 public broadcaster.

"Torre Annunziata search ongoing with no results. Two firefighters injured. USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams on the way," firefighters tweeted shortly after noon, six hours after the collapse.

Torre Annunziata Mayor Vincenzo Ascione said the first two floors were uninhabited and were being renovated, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Televised images showed firefighters, police, and volunteers were digging through the rubble with their bare hands in search of survivors, with search dogs sniffing over the area.

A total of 70 people are taking turns in the search for survivors under the sweltering heat, RAI public broadcaster reported. It is still unknown what caused the collapse. The building reportedly dates back to the 1960s. Enditem

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