A powerful explosion in a Chinese city south of Shanghai brought down buildings in a neighborhood marked for demolition, killing at least two people, Reuters reported, citing China Central Television (CCTV).
The explosion struck at around 8:50 a.m. (0050 GMT) in Jiangbei district in the port city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province.
Police said the cause of the blast was still uncertain.
The force of the explosion destroyed the roofs of two buildings at the site of the blast, which CCTV said were already structurally unsound.
It also shattered windows and punched holes in the walls of some residential and commercial properties as far as a kilometer away.
The state broadcaster said two people were killed, while 16 were slightly wounded and two were in serious condition.
CCTV said the blast was not a gas explosion, as the gas pipelines beneath the ground were no longer active, citing the operator of the pipelines.
Blasts and other accidents are common in China due to patchy enforcement of safety rules, although the government has pledged to improve checks to try to stamp out such incidents.