China's seismological authorities will send experts to an earthquake area in Tibet after a 6.6-magnitude quake killed at least nine on Monday.

The China Earthquake Administration (CEA) has launched a level III emergency response plan after the strong quake jolted Damxung County near Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, at 4:30 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Monday.

The administration has asked its monitoring and forecasting division, disaster relief division, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the China Earthquake Search and Rescue Center, and Tibet's seismological bureau to prepare an emergency response.

This would involve the work of earthquake monitoring and forecasting, evaluation of losses, and relief work.

The CEA and Tibet's seismological authorities will send experts to the affected area to investigate the disaster.

Meanwhile, seismological authorities in southwest China would also stay on alert, the CEA said.

Tremors were felt in Lhasa, but no major damage was found in buildings or historical sites there, including the famed Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple.

(Xinhua News Agency October 7, 2008)