Strong Tibet quake kills at least 30

(Updates with death toll, details; writes through)

BEIJING - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake killed at least 30 people in Tibet on Monday with a number of people buried in debris, Xinhua news agency said.

The victims were found near the epicentre in Gedar township of Damxung County, around 80 km (50 miles) west of the regional capital Lhasa, Xinhua reported.

"More people were still buried in debris and many houses collapsed," Xinhua quoted a local government official as saying.

The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website the quake struck at around 4:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. British time).

Traffic and telecommunications were cut off in Gedar, while soldiers and medical staff were rushing to the site, it said.

Deaths and injuries were also reported in a neighbouring county, but the exact number was unclear. The Qinghai-Tibet railway and Lhasa airport were reporting normal services.

Residents in Lhasa felt the quake, but there was no visible damage. Closer to the epicentre, near Ningzhong Town in the county of Qushui, buildings trembled and windows rattled.

Some schools in Lhasa were let out early, Xinhua said.