HOHHOT - Three people died and 25 were injured when a natural gas pipeline exploded Saturday in a residential building in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the local government said.

The accident happened at around 2 p.m. in a multi-storey residential building in Tumd Right Banner of Baotou City, causing part of the building to collapse, the local government said in a press release.

It said four of the injured residents were in critical condition.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.