BEIJING - TWO people were killed and 14 injured in two separate explosions on public buses in a south-western Chinese city on Monday, official media reported.

The explosions occurred within 55 minutes of each other during the peak morning rush hour in downtown Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, Xinhua reported, citing local police.

The cause of the explosion was under investigation, the report said.

Kunming police declined to comment.

Photos of one of the damaged buses that were posted on the Yunnan Daily website showed the vehicle's windows blown out by the blast and shattered glass on the road.

The first explosion occurred at 7.10am near a bus stop in a central part of the city, and the second blast was at a nearby intersection of two roads at 8.05am, Xinhua reported. -- AFP