Two earthquakes hit the Qinghai province in the northwest and southwestern Yunnan province in China.

The 6.1 magnitude Yunnan quake struck first at 9:48pm Friday near the city of Dali, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

At least three people were killed and more than 27 others were injured following the earthquake.

Later, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit northwestern China in the early hours of Saturday.

The earthquake occurred in the Qinghai province and struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the seismic network Geofon in Potsdam, Germany.

Aftershocks followed, with magnitudes of 4.8 and 4.5, respectively.

According to the State news agency Xinhua, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the remote area.

The two quakes were not related, the USGS geophysicist Jonathan Tytell told the AP News Agency.