NANCHANG - Three elder people were killed and three others injured after a nursing house caught fire early Saturday in East China's Jiangxi province, authorities said.

The fire, spreading on an area of 520 square meters, occurred at Xiannvhu Nursing House in the city of Xinyu, said a spokesman with the provincial civil affairs department.

The injuries of the three were not life-threatening, said the spokesman.

Initial investigation showed the an elder person ignited the mosquito-repellent incense, which later caused the fire, he said.

Further investigation is under way.