Nigerian police say at least three people have been killed and several more injured after a shopping mall under construction collapsed.

The incident happened in the capital city of Abuja on Tuesday. Emergency personnel could not remove any dead bodies and many people are still buried under the rubble.

"For the past two hours, no person has been rescued yet and no dead bodies have been removed. They are still digging through the rubble," police officer Adeleye Adewale said.

Between 40-50 construction workers were believed to be working in the building when it collapsed, police said.

The four-storey building was due to become the largest shopping center in Nigeria's capital.

AGB/PA