Officials say at least nine people were killed when a five-story building in South Korea that was being demolished collapsed on top of a bus.

The collapse, which occurred in the southern city of Gwangju, injured eight individuals.

According to the National Fire Agency, the bus was carrying 17 people and had come to a stop on a street below.

The cause of the collapse is unknown, and rescue attempts are underway to locate any survivors who may be trapped.

In a televised briefing, fire officer Kim Seok-sun claimed that all workers on the site had escaped before the building collapsed.

Before the collapse, some of the employees informed investigators that they had closed up a pedestrian path near the site.

The structure collapsed immediately on top of the bus, according to videos posted on social media.