Bank

Many others were injured in the blast, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak from a sewage drain.

Witnesses told local media many people were buried in the debris. There are fears the death toll will rise.

Footage from the scene showed windows and doors at the Habib Bank building blown out, vehicles damaged, and documents strewn across the street.

Herve Falciani, 43, was on trial for leaking bank data that led to a worldwide wave of tax evasion probes against prominent clients with accounts in Switzerland.

Falciani, seen by some as a crucial whistleblower, had refused to travel from his native France to appear before the Swiss Federal Tribunal in Bellinzona in proceedings that began in October. France does not extradite its own citizens and Falciani appears unlikely to serve the sentence.

Herve Falciani, 43, was on trial for leaking bank data that led to a worldwide wave of tax evasion probes against prominent clients with accounts in Switzerland.

Falciani, seen by some as a crucial whistleblower, had refused to travel from his native France to appear before the Swiss Federal Tribunal in Bellinzona in proceedings that began in October. France does not extradite its own citizens and Falciani appears unlikely to serve the sentence.