SHIJIAZHUANG -?Three people died and one was injured in a fireworks explosion in north China's Hebei Province Monday night, the local government said Tuesday.

The explosion happened at around 9 p.m. in Baiguantun township of Fengrun District, in the city of Tangshan, an official with the district government of Fengrun said.

He said the four victims were all fireworks dealers who were stealthily burying the fireworks hoping to avoid confiscation amid an intensified government crackdown on illegal storage of the festive explosives.

Investigation is continuing.

The tragedy happened only two days after a fireworks explosion killed two workers, injured 16 and left six missing at a privately-run workshop in the same township.