Blaze ravages ancient Tibetan town

Footage showed dozens of buildings ablaze in the ancient town

Fire has severely damaged an ancient Tibetan town in south-western China.

More than 100 mostly wooden houses were destroyed in the blaze in Dukezong in Shangri-La county, in the province of Yunnan.

The picturesque town with cobbled streets dates back 1,300 years and is popular with tourists.

Casualties have not so far been reported. The blaze was put out by 2,000 firefighters, police and volunteers, according to local media.

Many residents had to be evacuated and the damage was estimated to be worth 100m yuan ($16m, £10m), state TV reports.

More than 2,000 people were involved in the fire fighting effort

The cause is not yet known, though one report suggested the blaze started in a guesthouse.

The Associated Press news agency quotes a local resident, He Yu, as saying she woke to loud bangs.

"The fire was huge. The wind was blowing hard, and the air was dry... it kept burning, and the firefighters were there, but there was little they could do because they could not get the fire engines onto the old town's narrow streets."

The county where Dukezong is located has enjoyed an increase in tourist revenue since changing its name to Shangri-La in 2001 after the make-believe Himalayan land of James Hilton's novel.