Arson ruled out as cause of temple fire

LHASA - A preliminary investigation has ruled out foul play in the fire that broke out in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region.

No casualties were caused by the fire, and the life-size statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha when he was 12 years old was intact.

The fire broke out in the ventilating chamber on the second floor of the monastery at 6:40 pm on Saturday and burned an area of about 50 square meters.

Protective supports and clapboards have been erected around the statue, and the golden top has been removed in case the building collapses.

The regional cultural relics bureau said all the registered 6,510 cultural relics and the main building were intact.

Jokhang Temple is renowned in Tibetan Buddhism. It has a history of more than 1,300 years and houses many cultural treasures.

The temple reopened to the public one day after the fire.

The local government has ordered a citywide inspection to eliminate fire hazards in major temples.

Xinhua