Buddha statue сollapses in Thailand, сasualties reported

Pedestal of the collapsed Buddha statue. Photo: Thaiger

A 12-meter Buddha statue at the Kaeng Kangsung Monastery in the Chanuman district of northeastern Thailand collapsed, Thaiger reports. The incident resulted in the death of one monk and injuries to five others.

Local police arrived at the scene to find the statue shattered at its base. The monks had been removing the molds from the statue after pouring concrete when the collapse occurred. Miraculously, one monk and a nearby dog escaped unharmed, but five monks sustained injuries, and one monk lost his life.

According to one of the injured monks, strong winds might have caused the tragedy, though the exact circumstances are yet to be determined.

Local residents interviewed by the media attributed the incident to "malevolent spirits," claiming that an old house once stood on the site of the statue, and "the spirits tied to the land might have been displeased with the changes." The abbot of the monastery stated that construction errors (premature removal of the molds) were to blame but pledged to hold ceremonies "to ward off destructive spirits for the sake of local morale."

However, another perspective on the collapse points to the lack of qualified professionals involved in temple construction in the region. A prominent lawyer in Thailand has called on authorities to tighten oversight of religious construction projects to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Previously, the destroyed Annunciation Church of the UOC in Bakhmut was shown online.

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