LHASA: Tibet may limit the number of tourists and mountaineers to Mount Qomolangma to protect its fragile ecology, the region's top environmental official has said.

The rising number of tourists and mountaineers makes protecting the environment a tough job, said Zhang Yongze, director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Environmental Protection Bureau. He, however, did not say when the restriction would be imposed.

At present, there are no restrictions on the number of tourists to the mountain or the areas they can visit.