Six schoolchildren have been killed in a stampede at a primary school in the southern Chinese city of Kunming.

City officials said on a microblog that more students from the first and second grades of Mingtong Primary School were injured in the incident.

It is not immediately clear what caused the stampede.

Chinese vice premier Liu Yandong has demanded an investigation be conducted into the cause and that the report be released to the public, Kunming officials said.

The city government said 25 injured students were taken to hospital, and those with minor injuries were released.

Following the stampede, Kunming officials demanded that all schools in the city have thorough security checks to remove any safety hazards.

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