The blast rocked a fried chicken shop in Yanjiao township in the city of Sanhe, close to Beijing

It is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. Two people were killed and 26 others were injured from the explosion, China Daily reported

Rescue workers have rushed to the site immediately, state-run Xinhua news agency reported

The blast rocked the building at around 8 am (local time) on Wednesday in Yanjiao town in Sanhe, causing damage to the building and several vehicles

Video footage of the explosion site showed red flames and plumes of smoke, with debris strewn across the nearby road

Firefighters are currently on site, managing the situation, the report said

The fire department had sent 36 vehicles and 154 personnel to the scene

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the fire at the explosion site was under control and that rescue work was still underway

Videos posted on Weibo social media showed huge clouds of grey smoke rising from the scene and engulfing the site, making it difficult to see surrounding buildings