Three?people were killed and four others injured in an explosion in a residential building in north China's Shanxi Province, local government said on Monday.

The blast happened at 8:57 AM on Monday at the No.15 Building of Longgangyuan Community in Datong City, said Gu Shengming, a spokesman with the Datong city government.

Two of the dead and four injured were discovered in the immediate aftermath and rescuers found another body and two more injured in the debris on Monday afternoon, Gu said.

The dead were two women and a man.

The blast demolished four homes.

Two of the four injured reported earlier have been released from hospital while the other four were still receiving treatment, said Gu.

Rescuers are still searching the rubble for anyone who might be trapped.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)