More than 60 people were injured today evening by an explosion probably caused by a gas cylinder just before a fireworks display in Japan's Kyoto prefecture, reports said.
Public broadcaster NHK said the cylinder was close to a drinks and snacks counter put in place for a grand fireworks festival which takes place each summer in Japan.
An explosion was heard around 7.25 pm local time and the counter and other objects were thrown in the air as a fire started and people fled, according to accounts and photographs posted on the Internet.
Sixty-one people were taken to hospital, Kyodo News reported, including two seriously injured with burns over their entire bodies.
It said the fireworks show, which attracted about 110,000 spectators last year, was cancelled after the blast.
Personal belongings were strewn across the area as investigators searched for clues.
