The death toll in an explosion at a residential community in Baoding, Hebei province, rose to three on Sunday, as the authorities launched a citywide search for illegal explosives.

The blast ripped through an apartment block in the city's Yaoheningyuan residential community at about 3 pm on Saturday, initially killing one person.

Rescue teams found two more bodies on Sunday morning, while another 30 people are still in hospital. Two are in critical condition and three are severely injured, said Yin Xiaolong, a spokesman for the city government.