Four killed, 14 injured as earthquakes hit Southwest China

At least four people are dead and 14 others injured after two earthquakes hit southwestern China on Wednesday, state media reported.

The quakes struck China's quake-prone southwestern Sichuan province.

A shallow 6.1-magnitude quake hit a sparsely populated area in Sichuan province about 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of provincial capital Chengdu, broadcaster CCTV said.

It was followed three minutes later by a second quake of magnitude 4.5 in a nearby county where the deaths and injuries occurred, according to CCTV.

Footage obtained by the broadcaster showed dozens of schoolchildren screaming and ducking under desks as their building started to shake, before dashing out of the classroom with arms over their heads.