DHAKA (REUTERS) - At least seven people were killed and eight injured on Sunday (Nov 17) after a gas pipeline exploded in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong, a police official said.

The pipeline exploded in front of a five-storey building, blowing some of the building's walls off, Mr Mohammad Mohsin said, citing witnesses.

The injured were taken to hospital, he said, adding that the death toll could rise as some were in critical condition.

Among the injured, one suffered burns while others were wounded by the wall collapse, Mr Mohsin said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, fire service official Amir Hossain said, adding that an investigation was under way.

Last month, seven children died after a gas cylinder used for inflating balloons exploded in the capital Dhaka.

Faulty gas pipelines and substandard cylinders often cause accidents in the south Asian country, blamed on lax monitoring.