Two people were killed and 14 injured in two separate explosions on public buses in a southwestern Chinese city on Monday, police said, in an incident likely to heighten Olympic security concerns.
The confirmed blasts occurred about an hour apart during the peak morning traffic rush in downtown Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, according to a statement released by the city's Public Security Bureau.
No details were given as to the cause of the explosions and police declined to comment further when contacted by AFP.
However the incidents add to tensions ahead of next month's Beijing Olympics, amid repeated warnings from the Chinese government about a dire terrorism threat for the Games.
The government is also concerned about social unrest marring its efforts to portray the country as "harmonious and stable" ahead of the Olympics, as there have been violent protests in Yunnan and elsewhere recently.
The first blast occurred about "about 7:00 am" (2300 GMT Sunday) when the vehicle was at a bus stop, killing one person and injuring 10 others, the police statement said.
"The glass on both sides of the vehicle was all shattered and some of the seats were warped," the brief statement said.
The second blast came about an hour later on the same road and killed one person, injuring four, according to the statement.
"The cause of the explosions are under investigation," the statement said, giving no other information.
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.
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