TAIYUAN - Three people died after an explosion in a rural home in Shanxi province Thursday afternoon, the local government said Friday.

The accident happened at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Nanyan village, Fenyang city, the city government said.

According to an investigation by the provincial public security department, trade in illegal civilian explosives was to blame for the accident. It did not provide further details.

Three houses were also ripped apart in the blast. The three dead include the person suspected of being responsible for the blast, said the demolition expert from the public security department.