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At least 7 killed, scores injured in Chinese kindergarten explosion

Posted at 12:05 PM, Jun 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-15 12:08:44-04

BEIJING — At least seven people were killed and 66 were injured, including children, in a blast Thursday near a kindergarten in eastern China, according to Chinese state media.

Two people died at the scene and five died at the hospital, Chinese Central Television reported. Nine are in serious condition, according to CCTV.

No children or teachers are among the dead, the Fengxian government said on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter. Classes were underway when the incident happened, the government said.

The blast occurred in front of the gate of the Chuangxin Kindergarten at about 4:50 p.m., according to Fengxian police.

“The police and related departments rushed to the scene as soon as it was reported and conducted rescue and investigation work on the site,” police said on Weibo. “Currently, the investigation work is still underway.”

Authorities have not said what caused the explosion. The Fengxian communication department did not answer a phone call from CNN.

Graphic images purporting to show the chaotic aftermath of the blast have circulated on Twitter and Chinese social media.

A child with a bloodied face, stumbling back and forth in only her underwear, could be seen surrounded by children splayed out on the ground. Screams were heard in the background.

CNN has not been able to independently verify that the video is from this incident, but it’s been recirculated by various Chinese state media outlets.

Fengxian is in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, about 370 miles (595 km) northwest of Shanghai.

It’s home to 1.2 million people, according to the government’s website.