A young Tibetan man set himself on fire near Tibet's capital of Lhasa on Saturday, a rights group said, the latest in a series of protests against Chinese rule.

The fate of the 22-year-old man, whose name was given as Tsewang Dorjee, was unknown though there were reports he had died, London-based Free Tibet said in a statement on Tuesday.

Government officials could not be reached for comment.

With the latest incident, at least 41 people have set themselves on fire in Tibetan-inhabited areas of China in protest at repressive government policies, according to activists.

The rights group said authorities have tightened security in Damxung county near Lhasa following the incident, detaining witnesses and cutting off communications.

On May 27, two men set themselves on fire in front of the Jokhang temple, a renowned centre for Buddhist pilgrimage in the centre of Lhasa, in the first such incident to hit the city.

Lhasa was the scene of violent anti-Chinese government protests in 2008, which later spread to other areas inhabited by Tibetans, and authorities have kept the city under tight security since then.

Tibetans have long chafed under China's rule over the vast Himalayan plateau, saying that Beijing has curbed religious freedoms and their culture is being eroded by an influx of Han Chinese, the country's main ethnic group.

Beijing, however, says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion.

China on Sunday started work on a 30-billion-yuan ($4.8-billion) tourism project in Lhasa, as it seeks to draw more travellers to the restive Tibet region.