Explosion in Chinese fireworks factory kills seven

An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China has killed seven people and injured nine others.

Government officials say police are investigating the cause of the blast in Linli, a city in Hunan province.

The death toll added to the annual surge in fatal accidents, as fireworks production rises before the Lunar New Year. This year the holiday falls on February 1.

Linli is about 700 miles south of Beijing, in the heart of China's fireworks-producing region.