The incident occurred at around 3.25pm on Monday at the No 8 Middle School in Kashgar, a statement on a social media account affiliated with the city government said.

A student fell in front of a door as pupils were moving between a dormitory and a teaching building, “causing a stampede”, the statement said, without giving further details.

It said three people were “seriously injured and are being treated with all-out efforts”.

A further 11 people were “lightly injured and are being kept in hospital for observation”.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, the statement said.

Located around 4,000km from Beijing, the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar is the cultural heartland of China’s Uyghur minority.

The ruling Communist Party is accused of committing grievous human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, which the US and lawmakers in some other countries have called a “genocide”.

Beijing vociferously denies the allegations, arguing that its policies in Xinjiang have helped to curb religious extremism and boost economic development.