Police said the early morning blast occurred while five workers were conducting maintenance on the pipeline in the city's Jing'an District, China's official state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A 33-year-old man was killed and another man died at a hospital shortly after the explosion.

Three other people were hurt in the blast, doctors said.

Xinhua said an investigation has already been initiated to determine the cause of the explosion, which did not affect the supply of gas to area homes and businesses.