The man, in his 30s, was confirmed dead by paramedics after he was discovered on the ground floor of the building in West Bromwich, West Midlands Police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Danny Long said: "At the moment we can't tell what time this person died or where he was in the building when the roof collapsed. Obviously the roof went through not just the first floor but through to the ground floor. We don't know how far he fell. We can't say at this stage."

Police believe the man lived at the property, which is a three-storey terraced building in West Bromwich High Street.

Mr Long said: "We think we know who this person is. The family have been contacted, they are aware."

The body has not yet been recovered from the building, he added.

Four other men who were inside the building when the roof collapsed were accounted for. Two were rescued by fire crews, while two made their own way out.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said two of four people known to have escaped the collapse were taken to Sandwell General Hospital. One of the casualties had a minor head injury while the other suffered a foot wound.

The property is a terraced building, with an estate agency on the ground floor and residential addresses on two floors above.

The fire service spokesman described the incident as a "catastrophic failure" of the roof, adding: "The roof has collapsed inwards, which has caused the floors below to pancake downwards towards the ground floor." The cause of the collapse is unknown.