Seven people were killed and 27 others injured following an explosion in north China's Hebei Province on Wednesday, the city's emergency management bureau said on Thursday.

The blast, suspected to have been caused by a gas leak, occurred at 7:54 a.m. at a shop in Yanjiao township in Sanhe, a city neighboring Beijing.

The injured, all with non-life-threatening injuries, have been transferred to hospitals. Among them, 14 people have been discharged, said the bureau.

The search and rescue operation at the scene was basically completed on Wednesday night, but further investigation is underway.