Several people have been killed and more wounded by an explosion near a bus in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, security services say.

The bus was carrying off-duty soldiers, according to reports, and was opposite a university campus when the explosion occurred.

Turkey's Dogan news agency said that the blast was caused by a car bomb.

The explosion comes a week after 44 people were killed by a bomb attack in Istanbul claimed by Kurdish militants.

TV images showed the bus reduced to a smouldering wreck by the blast.

Turkey has suffered a series of bombings in 2016 at the hands of both Kurdish militants and jihadists.

The office of Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim imposed a temporary blackout on coverage of the explosion, AP reported.

The instruction urged the media from to refrain from publishing anything that may cause "fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organizations".