A Tibetan monk died after self-immolating in northwest China over the weekend, state media said Monday, taking to 15 the number of people to set themselves on fire in Tibetan areas in less than a year.

Nyage Sonamdrugyu, 40, set himself ablaze early Sunday morning in Qinghai, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It is the first time the Tibetan-inhabited province has been hit by such a protest.