SHIJIAZHUANG - Six people have been confirmed dead after an illegal firecracker warehouse exploded in North China's Hebei province on Sunday, the local government said.

The accident occurred at about 9 am in Dongwang township, Ningjin county.

The explosion injured more than a dozen of others. Bloodstains have been spotted at the gate of a nearby garment factor.

The fatal explosion shattered nearly all the glass windows at a residential building close to the factory. A flour factory located about one kilometer away from the warehouse also had its windows broken.

As of about 6 pm, heavy rescue machines were still entering the scene.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the explosion, the Ningjin government said.