Explosion At Eastern China Kindergarten Kills 7

An explosion at an eastern China kindergarten left at least seven people dead and 66 others injured on Thursday, according to state media outlet Xinhua.

Two people were killed immediately and five others died from their injuries, according to Chinese Central Television. Nine of the wounded are in a serious condition. It is unknown if any children were included in the casualties.

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The location of the explosion was Chuangxin Kindergarten in the city of Xuzhou in the Jiangsu province, police said. The explosion happened at around 4:50 p.m. on Thursday as parents were picking up their children. The explosion supposedly started because “gas cylinders exploded” in front of the building, according to a Sina Weibo post from the People’s Daily newspaper. Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website.

A local man was quoted as saying he heard a “gas explosion at a nearby food store,” on the Chinese news website Sohu.

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

Video footage showed people lying on the ground, some with their clothes torn off and others soaked in their own blood. The footage showed the moment ambulances arrived. The explosion was filed to be investigated, an official at the police station in Fengxian county told Agence France-Presse.

The explosion is the latest in a string of tragedies involving children.

A school bus in the eastern Shandong province caught fire last month, killing 11 children and the driver. A teacher was severely hurt. It was later revealed that the fire was intentionally started by the driver, who was upset that his overtime pay had been cut.

Read: School Attacks In China 2016: 12 Children Stabbed By Man Who Attacked Kindergarten With Knife

Several knife attacks have occurred in the past few years. In November 2016, a knife attack left seven wounded outside a primary school in northern China.

Most attacks in China are carried out with knives, axes or homemade explosives because of China's strict gun control.