Tibet has launched a region-wide inspection of school construction quality, said local authorities.

The inspection, to last until July 30, was organized by the local education and construction departments, the region's development and reform commission and its seismological bureau.

According to construction regulations, school, hospital and government buildings should be able to resist earthquakes of magnitude 7.

It is not immediately known how many schools are in the region.

Tibet is on the western earthquake belt of China. This year, the southwestern region has been hit by several earthquakes with magnitudes above 5.0, including a magnitude 6.9 quake in Gerze County, which was said to be the strongest in nearly a decade.

Tibet is adjacent to Sichuan Province, which was ravaged by a massive earthquake on May 12. The disaster, which claimed about 70,000 lives, raised public awareness of school building quality.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2008)