A building has collapsed in the Whitechapel area of London while undergoing construction work.

It is unclear whether anyone was inside the structure at the time of the collapse.

The London Fire Brigade said two storeys of the building were affected.

A 100m safety cordon was put in place around the scene, located opposite Whitechapel fire station, and people were advised to avoid the area.

Eight adults and one child were treated for shock at the scene, a fire brigade spokesman said.

The brigade's urban search and rescue team were using specialist listening equipment to discover if anyone was trapped inside.

Other firefighters were looking at ways to stabilise the building.