At least 15 people injured as the blast sent large pieces of debris about 91 metres across the street.

A powerful explosion from a suspected gas leak ripped through a shopping mall in Florida, injuring at least 15 people.

Two of those were in serious condition after the blast in the town of Plantation in south Florida on Saturday.

Between 15 and 20 people were injured, deputy fire chief Joel Gordon told reporters.

Photos on US news outlets showed a large field of debris outside the Fountains Plaza shopping centre.

The photos showed an LA Fitness gym heavily damaged, with its windows blown out. The blast sent large pieces of debris about 91 metres across the street.

The fire department called it a gas explosion with “multiple patients”.

The Sun-Sentinel, a South Florida newspaper, reported that witnesses said a vacant restaurant appeared to be the source of the explosion. Local TV station WPLG said around 20 people were injured, two of them seriously.

The Plantation fire and police departments said on Twitter that the street was closed to traffic.