A violent explosion east of the Chinese capital Beijing has claimed the lives of at least two people and injured more than 25, local authorities have said.

The accident occurred during the morning rush hour at a restaurant in the town of Yanjiao, which belongs to the city of Sanhe, the local government announced on Wednesday morning.

The fire brigade said it sent more than 150 rescue workers to the scene of the accident, where several shops were located. Photos showed the affected building collapsed.

Videos circulated on social media showed an explosion in a building, with the force of the detonation and flying debris causing severe damage to neighbouring buildings and cars.

A thick column of smoke rose above the city, which is around 30 kilometres from Beijing.

Fire-fighters extinguished the flames in the building.

According to the city government of Sanhe, a gas leak could have caused the explosion.

In China, there were frequent and sometimes fatal explosions, which were often caused by breaches of safety regulations.

(NAN)