Seven people have been killed in a fireworks explosion in southern China.

The official Chinese news agency said another 21 people were injured in the blast inside a fireworks shop on Saturday - the first day of the Chinese New Year - in the city of Luoding, in Guangdong province.

A local official said the explosion sparked off a chain reaction, destroying crowded shops nearby.

The authorities are still investigating what caused the blast.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service