Fire Extinguished At Famous Tibetan Temple

Streets around Lhasa's fire-hit Jokhang temple, one of the most sacred sites for Tibetan Buddhism, were reopened to pilgrims on Sunday after a blaze broke out the night before, Chinese state media said, but the extent of damage remained unclear.

The official Xinhua news agency said the fire had erupted on Saturday evening in part of the more than 1,300-year-old Jokhang temple, but was soon put out.

Images posted on social media of the blaze showed the eaved roof of a section of the building lit with roaring yellow flames and emitting a haze of smoke.

"The fire was quickly extinguished, there were no casualties and order is normal in the area," said the state-run Tibet Daily, adding that Tibet's top Communist party official Wu Yingjie had rushed to the scene.

Jokhang temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which lies at the heart of old Lhasa.

The Barkhor -- a bustling, shop-lined area surrounding Jokhang whose streets and square constitute one of the most important pilgrimage circuits for Tibetans -- was temporarily closed after the fire but has been reopened, the state Xinhua news agency said Sunday. (AFP)