Five people have died and thousands left homeless by a village fire in China's south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, officials say.

Authorities in Sanjiang village said the fire, which started because of a malfunctioning electric switch in a rice mill, has burned 3,276 villagers out of their homes, the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.

The news agency said the 70-year-old owner of the mill, Wei Xianting, and his 4-year-old granddaughter were among those killed in the blaze.

Local authorities told Xinhua that fires are common in Sanjiang, which is densely populated by people of Dong ethnic group, many of whom live in wooden houses.