QUITO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed Thursday in a major house fire in southern Guayaquil, southwestern Ecuador, local firefighters said.

The fire was reported to authorities before 6 a.m. local time in the Santiaguito de Roldos neighborhood by a police officer who was passing through the area.

"During firefighting operations, our firefighters found five bodies with no vital signs," the Guayaquil Fire Department said on X, adding that the blaze had been brought under control while debris removal continued.

The department said that seven fire engines, two ambulances and one hazardous materials unit were dispatched to the scene, where firefighters found the house engulfed in flames, with the roof and ceiling destroyed.

Firefighters said the victims were three people around 50 years old and two others aged 17 and 20.

Preliminary reports said at least three gas cylinders were found inside the house, one of which may have exploded during the fire.

Initial findings suggest the blaze may have been caused by a short circuit followed by the explosion of a gas cylinder, though the exact cause remains under investigation. ■