GUANGZHOU - A car explosion killed five people and injured 21 in a village in south China's Guangdong province Wednesday, local authorities said.

The explosion occurred at about 2 p.m. in Litianshang village in the Potou district of the city of Zhanjiang, an official with the city government said.

Of the five dead, three were killed at the scene and two died later at a hospital after emergency treatment failed.

An initial investigation found that the explosion was a family dispute-triggered revenge, an spokesman with the city's public security bureau said.

The suspect, a man surnamed Chen in his 50s, is currently under emergency treatment at hospital and has confessed to the crime that targeted the family of his second divorced wife, the spokesman said.

The suspect had quarrels and physical clashes with the family of his former wife when an explosive-loaded car he drove into the village exploded suddenly, the spokesman added.

The injured have been admitted to three hospitals.

Zheng Runying, a neighbor of the suspect's former father-in-law and also one of the injured, said after hearing the quarrel she was about to go to the neighbor's home to check, but she lost consciousness in a big bang.

Zheng's husband also suffered severe injuries.