LHASA, May 22 -- Insurance against altitude sickness was introduced on Tuesday in northwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, a move designed to help the health and safety of tourists visiting the plateau region.

The insurance covers compensations for accidents, medical bills on altitude-related diseases, as well as funeral expenses for applicants, said Wang Songping, deputy head of the region's tourism bureau.

Tourists arriving in Tibet can pay 50 yuan each (7.9 U.S. dollars) or 100 yuan each for a valid period of 15 days with a maximum compensation of 100,000 yuan or 200,000 yuan respectively in cases of the above situations.

The plateau region is known as "the roof of the world," with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters.

According to Wang, the largest risk for tourists in Tibet is altitude sickness. Related diseases, such as swellings to the lungs or brain, may be life threatening, but these problems are not covered by previous travel insurance categories.

The altitude sickness insurance, designed and initiated by the Tibet branch of the China Life Insurance Company, is aimed at ensuring the health of tourists so that they can visit the region without worries, he added.