Two people were confirmed dead and six others injured in an explosion in a residential quarter in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Wednesday,local police said.

The blast ripped through a single-story home around 6:40 a.m. in Lasengmiao Town, Wuhai City, 526 kilometers west of the regional capital Hohhot.

Several surrounding homes were leveled or damaged.

Rescuers found eight people in the debris, of whom, two died. The rest were injured and hospitalized.

The dead were identified as Wang Gaihuan, a 52-year-old retired woman, and Wei Qiang, a 28-year-old man, said police.

Rescue efforts ended at 12:40 p.m..

Police said an initial investigation indicated an illegal stock of explosives had caused the blast.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2009)