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Story highlights
- Dozens of people were injured in the explosion, including children
- Fengxian is in eastern China's Jiangsu province
No kindergarten students 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, but police were treating it as a criminal case and have targeted a suspect, according to Xinhua. 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 kilometers) northwest of Shanghai.
It's home to 1.2 million people, according to the government's website.