3 dead, 8 wounded after explosion in Dalian

Three people were killed and eight others were wounded by explosions around 6 am on Monday near a residential community in Dalian Jinpu New Area, Liaoning province, according to Dalian's emergency management bureau.

Preliminary analysis suggests the explosions were caused by a gas pipeline leak of Jinzhou Tiancheng gas company, local authorities said on Monday.

Upon further verification, two explosions occurred at about 5:50 am. After the first explosion, about 10 vehicles were damaged to varying degrees and some vehicles caught fire. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene for rescue. During the rescue, another explosion and fire broke out at a nearby car repair shop.

The wounded people had been taken to the hospital for treatment, according to the emergency management office of Dalian Jinpu New Area, China's 10th State-level new area.

Officials and rescue workers from various local departments immediately rushed to the scene. The fire has been extinguished and the cause of the accident is under investigation, the office said.