BEIJING, China (AFP) — An explosion at a kindergarten in eastern China on Thursday killed at least seven people and injured 59 others, state media said.

The blast occurred near the nursery, according to the Fengxian county government in Jiangsu province.

China Central Television said two people were killed at the site of the explosion, and five died in hospital. Nine of the injured are in a serious condition.

A photo posted by Chinese media online shows several women and children sitting or lying on the ground, some bleeding. One woman is clutching her child, who is in tears.

The blast occurred at the gate of the kindergarten as children were leaving the school in the afternoon, according to the Xinhua news agency, citing the emergency office of Xuzhou city.

An official at the police station in Fengxian county in Jiangsu province told AFP that the cause of the explosion was under investigation.

“There were some children injured,” the official said.

The images circulating online showed more than a dozen people outside a building, many lying on the concrete and some appearing to be unconscious, including a small child.

The force of the blast tore the clothes off some people.

It is the latest tragedy to strike a kindergarten in China in recent weeks.

A school bus packed with kindergarten pupils erupted in flames inside a tunnel in eastern Shandong province on May 9, killing 11 children, a teacher and the driver.

Officials later said the fire was intentionally set by the driver, who was angry at losing overtime wages.