The explosion suspected to have been caused by a leak from a household liquefied "natural gas bottle" took place in the village of Xi'nan in Wuxi, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The blast destroyed a two-story building, burying 10 people. One person died after rescue efforts failed.
The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.
Four people are in critical conditions, while the other five are in non-life-threatening conditions, the report said.
