YADONG, Tibet - Educational authorities in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region decided on Tuesday to suspend classes in several schools for a week, as several school buildings were damaged in the aftermath of a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck India on Sunday evening.

The quake damaged nine schools in Tibet's Yadong county, according to Celo, deputy director of the county's education bureau. Yadong borders Sikkim, the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude quake.

Dawa Lhamo, principal of the hard-hit Yadong County Middle School, said the school will hold classes in temporary tents on the school's playground on Wednesday.

At least seven people in Yadong died in the quake. Twenty-four others were injured; three remain in critical condition.

The tremor damaged 70 percent of the county's buildings, as well as caused hundreds of landslides that disrupted traffic and snarled power and water supply lines in the county.