TAIYUAN - Five people were killed after a residential building collapsed early Tuesday in North China's Shanxi province, according to local authorities.

The collapse, believed to have been caused by an explosion, happened at 5:20 am in the village of Canfang in the city of Yuncheng, according to a spokesman for the city's emergency management office.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Local authorities have asked police to crack down on the unlawful possession of explosives in wake of the tragedy.