An explosion early Thursday in a residential building in northeast China killed two people and injured 25 others, police said. The explosion occurred at 5:26 a.m. at an apartment building in the city of Jixi, Xinhua said. One person died on the scene while the second victim died on the way to a hospital. Police said 17 people have been hospitalized and eight are under medical observation. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but officials said a gas leak likely contributed to the blast.