Seven feared dead in South China fireworks blast
( 2002-02-06 16:05 ) (9 )

Seven people including four students were killed in an explosion in a Chinese residential building believed to have been used to illegally assemble firecrackers, local officials and reports said Wednesday.

Local police said the explosion occurred just after 1:00 am Tuesday (1700 GMT Monday) in a three-story building in the southern city of Yulin, Guangxi province, which partially collapsed after the blast.

A police official said six people had died and that illicitly made firecrackers were thought to be the reason for the blast.

"They were illegally producing low-quality firecrackers," the police official said. "Investigations are continuing."

People's Daily website put the death toll at seven, including four middle-school students.

The explosion could have been caused by 98 kilograms (215 pounds) of gunpowder stolen recently from a local fireworks factory in the Rong County of the city, said the website, citing sources close to the investigation.