Seven people missing after Japanese tunnel Sasago collapse leaving people trapped inside

At least seven people are feared missing after parts of a major road tunnel collapsed west of Tokyo - trapping vehicles as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching.

Several bued bodies have reportedly been found among the rubble at the Sasago Tunnel, around 50 miles outside the capital.

Video footage from cameras inside the tunnel, after the fire was extinguished, showed firefighters picking their way through cement roof panels that collapsed onto vehicles.

Collapse: Seven people are feared missing among the rubble in the Sasago tunnel

Tragedy: Rescue workers have reportedly found bued bodies inside the tunnel

Fears: Local media reported rescue efforts were suspended amid fears of another collapse

Local media reported rescuers had suspended work out of fears of another collapse.

A woman who escaped from her rental car after it was trapped in the 2.5 mile-long tunnel told authorities she was unsure about the condition of five other people who had been in the vehicle with her.

Another two vehicles were known to be buried in the rubble, suggesting at least seven people were trapped inside, according to a statement by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Disaster: Vehicles were trapped by cement panels inside the major road tunnel

Trapped: Smoke billows from the entrance of the collapsed tunnel on the Chuo expressway

All hands on deck: Police vehicles and ambulance massed outside the entrance

It said two people were confirmed injured, one of them moderately.

The cause in the collapse of about 330 feet of the tunnel was under investigation.

Police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances were massed outside the tunnel's entrance.

Emergency: Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the collapse

Injuries: The roof and windows of a parked vehicle outside were crushed and the occupant taken to hospital

Missing: A woman who escaped said she was unsure about the condition of five others in her vehicle

A man who said he saw the collapse and alerted authorities to the emergency told NHK television he managed to escape after he was ordered to flee.

The roof and windows of another vehicle parked on the roadside outside the tunnel were crushed, and the injured occupants reportedly taken to a hospital.