LOS ANGELES - Pop star Michael Jackson was rushed to hospital Thursday after paramedics found him unconscious in his home, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Captain Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Department told broadcaster CNN that Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre from his rented mansion Thursday afternoon.

Local TV stations said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, but Ruda would not comment on his condition except to say that he was given “extreme care” and rushed to hospital.

The report came as the financially challenged Jackson, 50, was preparing for a sold-out concert run in London.