HEFEI -- Six people were killed by gas poisoning in eastern China's Anhui province Sunday, local authorities said.

The incident happened at around 11 am in Yangxiaoying village in Changfeng county, according to the county publicity department.

Police said that the victims, from Anhui's Lixin county, might have died after using honeycomb briquettes to heat their rented house.

Further investigation is underway.