One person was killed and three others were injured in an explosion in a residential building in Harbin, capital of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

Local authorities suspect an exploding gas tank caused the blast which occurred at around 7am on Thursday morning in Xiangfang District.

Dashcam footage from a nearby vehicle driving along a highway showed a plume of smoke suddenly appearing, and debris strewn across the road, slowing down surrounding traffic.

The injuries to the three people are not life-threatening.

Further investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway. (Additional reporting by Xinhua)