India, Oct. 9 -- At least five people were killed and several others injured after a house collapsed following a loud explosion in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya on Thursday evening, media reports said.

Rescue operations are underway, with multiple people still feared trapped under the debris.

The injured have been rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

"The Chief Minister has expressed grief over the loss of lives and instructed officials to extend all possible help to the victims," a government statement said.

A forensic team has arrived at the spot to collect samples and confirm the source of the blast.

"It appears to be a gas cylinder or cooker explosion in a kitchen, but we can confirm only after forensic testing,"...