Up to 27 people are feared to have died or been critically injured in a building fire in western Japan.

State broadcaster NHK said the fire broke out on the fourth or fifth floor of an eight-story building in a shopping and entertainment area in the city of Osaka.

It said the victims were found in a state of heart or lung failure.

The blaze was mostly extinguished after 30 minutes according to local media.

It is not yet known what caused the fire.