SHIJIAZHUANG - Eleven people were injured in an explosion that tore through a fireworks store in North China's Hebei province Friday morning, local authorities said.

The blast took place at 10:22 am in the village of Yangcun in Xingtang county, resulting in the collapse of a two-story home, according to the county publicity department.

The injured have been hospitalized and are in stable condition, the department said.

The store, run by local resident An Chunyi, was operating under an expired business license at the time of the explosion, although An was in the process of applying for a new license.

An investigation into the cause of the blast is under way.