Relatives of people killed in a suicide attack on a wedding party in southern Afghanistan have buried the victims.

40 people died and 78 injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself among crowds at the celebration north of Kandahar. The Afghan Interior Ministry has confirmed that children are among the dead.

Local police say that many of the guests had links to officials and militia in the area, which is probably why it was a target.

Citing hospital reports, Kandahar Governor Tooryalai Wisa has said that ball bearings had been used as shrapnel, a hallmark of suicide bombings.

Witnesses have described scenes of chaos at the wedding, which drew around 400 celebrants including women and children from nearby villages.

The Taliban has regrouped since their US-led overthrow in 2001 but the terrorist group has denied responsibility.