Xinhua news agency photo shows the blast site in Benxi Autonomous County of Manchu Nationality, northeast China's Liaoning province, 05 Jul 2007

Chinese media report that an explosion at a karaoke parlor in northeastern China has killed 25 people and wounded 33 others.

Pictures of the blast posted online by state-run Chinese media show the flattened remains of what was previously the karaoke parlor. Several cars appeared to have been destroyed during the explosion.

The blast occurred late Wednesday night in Liaoning province's Benxi county.

The official Xinhua news agency reports that authorities are investigating the cause of the blast. The report says that several employees, including the wife of the parlor owner, who was killed, were being questioned.

It did not say whether they were being treated as suspects.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.