Four people have been killed and several more injured when a large explosion rocked the port city of Jaffa, levelling a building, Israeli police said on Tuesday.

The blast happened at a local paint store on Yefet Street in the district south of Telv Aviv, local media reported.

The bodies were found in the rubble after firefighters had managed to extinguish the blaze, police said on Tuesday.

At least five people were injured, including a 30 year old man with severe burns, and evacuated to hospital. Although residents initially feared some form of attack after seeing the huge blast, police have now ruled out terrorism and criminal action, saying that the explosion was most likely caused by gas.

Large plumes of smoke billowed above the houses before firefighters put out the blaze and started searching for bodies.

The head of the fire service suggested the blast was the result of a pirate gas canister attached to the building without proper safety measures.