Three people were killed and 24 others were injured when a powerful explosion rocked a shopping mall in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Tuesday.

The explosion happened near a store on the ground floor of the shopping mall that was undergoing renovation.

The official Bernama news agency said the blast could have been caused by a leaking gas tank, not a bomb. 

The investigation of the accident is underway. 

Firefighters and police officers have been deployed to the scene, local official said.