5 killed in apartment explosion in China

At least five persons were killed and 25 others injured in a suspected gas explosion at an apartment building in north China, officials said today.
The local government has resettled 259 people after the blast damaged 83 houses yesterday at Baotou city in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The injured are in a stable condition and the rescue operation has ended after a meticulous search for any survivor, state-run People's Daily reported today.
The explosion was so powerful that one of the three connecting blocks of the apartment was almost gone. Window panes of many nearby buildings were also shattered, it reported.

The government said the cause is still being investigated. Earlier reports indicated that it might have been caused by a natural gas leak.