20 injured in China hall collapse

A building in south-western China has collapsed, officials say, injuring at least 20 people.

Many were pulled from the rubble of the two-storey former exhibition centre in the city of Leshan, in Sichuan province.

About 100 people were thought to be attending a lecture inside at the time.

Although early reports claimed that many people were trapped inside the building, a local official later told the BBC that no one was still inside.

One witness, Li Xijian, said he saw people running out of the site with their clothes covered in dust.

A large crowd gathered around the building to inspect the damage, Mr Li told Xinhua.

The two-storey exhibition centre was reportedly built in 1959 and was mainly used by elderly residents for social functions.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear.