SHENYANG - Five people were killed in an explosion in a plant in Northeast China's Liaoning province on Saturday, local authorities said on Sunday.

The explosion occurred at around 10 am Saturday in a small private chemical plant in Dongzhou district of Fushun city, when workers of the factory were checking material tanks, the city's publicity department said.

Five workers were killed in the accident. The blast caused fire, but the fire is under control, local firefighters said.

The investigation into the blast is underway.