No survivors or bodies have been discovered following a thorough search of a residential building in north China's Shanxi Province in which there was an explosion killing five people, rescuers said on Sunday.

They said rescue work had ended and damaged buildings were being repaired. The water, gas and electricity supply was expected to resume by midnight on Sunday.

The death toll of the blast rose to five after another victim died in hospital on Friday afternoon.

"The victim is a 59-year-old man, whose wife and daughter were found dead last Monday and Thursday in the debris," said Bai Yulong, deputy director of the information office of Datong City, where the blast occurred. The family lived on the fourth floor of the building.

"The other two victims were a couple in their twenties who lived on the third floor," said Bai. "The accident also injured five others. Two of the injured were discharged from hospital last Monday while the other three are still receiving treatment. They’re in a stable condition."

The cause of the blast is being investigated, said Bai.

The explosion occurred at 8:57 a.m. last Monday in the No. 15 Building of Longgangyuan Community in Datong City. All the houses in the western section of the six-floor building collapsed. The doors and windows of six neighboring houses were also damaged.

"All the 239 residents affected have been housed in three nearby hotels and compensation is being negotiated," said Bai.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)