At least eight people died and another 35 were injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion in south-west China's Guizhou Province on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The explosion occurred at around 10 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) in Qinglong County at a pipeline operated by China National Petroleum Corp, triggered by a landslide after days of heavy rain.

Xinhua said earlier that the gas line was an extension of a pipeline that pumped gas from neighbouring Myanmar to southwest China and that the fire was put out in the afternoon.

Four of the injured are in critical condition, it said.