SAO PAULO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- An explosion at a residential building in the Brazilian city of Maceio killed at least three people, including a 10-year-old, and injured five, the fire department reported Thursday.

Initial information from a Civil Defense spokesperson suggested that the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak from the system of one of the apartments in Maceio's Cidade Universitaria neighborhood.

The blast triggered a fire that destroyed the two-story building, which housed 20 apartments.

The city government has arranged hotel accommodations for residents displaced by the accident. ■