An online video screenshot of the residential buildings where the explosions triggered by fireworks in north China's Tianjin on June 13, 2023. (PHOTO / CHINADAILY)

TIANJIN - Three people are confirmed dead and several others were injured in two explosions triggered by fireworks in north China's Tianjin Municipality Tuesday evening, local police said early on Wednesday.

Police arrested a suspect, a 46-year-old man surnamed Ma, the Hedong district branch of the Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau said in a press release.

ALSO READ: Over 180,000 prosecuted in China for financial fraud since 2018

It said the explosions, about 30 minutes apart, went off between 8 pm and 9 pm in two apartments located in two residential buildings in the downtown Hedong District, and the residents have been evacuated. The two buildings are about two kilometers apart. 

ALSO READ: China 'eliminates' 23 persistent organic pollutants

Several houses nearby suffered damage due to the blast, and the preliminary findings suggest that the explosion was caused by the deliberate use of fireworks and firecrackers.

Investigation on the explosion is underway and medical treatment has been provided to the injured individuals.