In pictures: Tokyo game parlour blast

A catastrophic explosion and fire in a busy Tokyo entertainment district has claimed the lives of 44 people.

Police and firefighters are investigating the fire, the worst Japan has seen since World War II, which appears to have been caused by a burst gas pipe.

Stunned passers-by look on as firemen try to rescue people trapped in the game parlour

Firefighters said the building was not suitably prepared for such emergencies...

... it was hard to flee the fire because there were few windows, no ladders, and only one entrance to the building

A broken gas pipe may give a clue to the cause of the blast

Fire officials say they had found the pipe near the door of the gaming parlour

Onlookers pack the street, while the police investigate the cause of the blast

A policeman lets a man enter the scene of the blast