ISTANBUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and four others wounded on Tuesday when a natural gas explosion hit a high school in Turkey's western city of Izmir, Turkish media reported.

According to CNNTurk, the blast happened in the boiler room of the school located in Gaziemir district as students were in class, sparking extreme panic.

A fire erupted following the explosion, forcing the evacuation of all the students from the building, while firefighters, police teams and ambulances were sent to the scene, CNNTurk said.

Parents who heard about the incident rushed to the school trying to reach their children, according to press reports.

The identities of the victims were not immediately available, but preliminary police reports cited gas entrapment as the cause of the blast.