MANILA, Jan. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- At least seven people were killed and more than 40 others injured when a bomb exploded in the southern Philippines on Sunday afternoon, the Philippine News Agency reported.

    The improvised bomb exploded around 4:00 p.m.(0080 GMT) at an open basketball court located at the town plaza of Parang, Maguindanao Province, where a local government-sponsored basketball tournament was being held, it said.

    Parang town mayor Vivencio Bataga, who was among the wounded, had just delivered a speech prior to the start of the basketball match and was about to leave the venue when the bomb exploded.

    Many of the victims were rushed to various hospitals to the nearby city of Cotabato.

    Local authorities said the bomb was planted at a motorcycle parked near the basketball court.

    No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the explosion at press time as the investigation is still going on.

    Bataga reportedly survived at least three assassination attempts last year which he blamed on his political enemies. Enditem