GUANGZHOU, Aug. 28 -- An explosion killed three people in south China's Guangdong Province after a suspected drug user ignited a gas cylinder during a standoff with police on Wednesday.

Police in the city of Dongguan said they raided a village hut at 6 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving reports of drug use from the locals. One of the five people inside the house ignited the cylinder to fend off police during attempted escape.

Two people who escaped the blast were detained and confessed to taking crystal meth. One man killed in the blast was a drug dealer and had been allowing drug users to stay in his house, according to police.

China has launched an intensive crackdown after President Xi Jinping vowed in June to severely punish drug-related offenders and contain the spread of drugs. In Beijing, 11 celebrities have been caught on drug-related charges this year, including Jaycee Chan, son of Hong Kong Kungfu star Jackie Chan, and Golden Horse winner, Taiwanese actor Kai Ko.