The explosion completely razed five homes and shattered the windows of surrounding buildings

A baby and a five-year-old girl were killed in an explosion east of Vietnam's capital Hanoi early Wednesday that destroyed several houses and wounded at least six other people.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast in Bac Ninh province's Yen Phong district, which occurred at 4:30 am demolishing buildings and sending debris flying through the air.

The explosion completely razed five homes and shattered the windows of surrounding buildings, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

A one-year-old boy and a girl were killed, according to a report from the provincial health department seen by AFP, while six others were taken to hospital with injuries.

"The blast seemed to be in an area where there are many families involved in collecting scrap," a local official told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Salvage of metal from the tonnes of Vietnam War-era bombs that still blanket the country often ends in tragedy.

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