Blaze at Jokhang Temple not caused by arson, Tibet police say; no relics damaged
No reason given for why fire in a ventilation chamber started, but all cultural treasures have been accounted for, report says
A preliminary investigation into the cause of last weekend’s fire at Jokhang Temple in Tibet has ruled out arson, according to a state media report citing local authorities, which also confirmed that all of the monastery’s prized relics had escaped unscathed.
Li Bin, deputy director of police in the region’s capital Lhasa, was quoted by Xinhua as saying that the blaze at the monastery on Saturday night had not damaged any of the cultural treasures housed there, including the Jowo Sakyamuni, a life-size statue of the 12-year-old Buddha.
Although no one was hurt in the fire, photographs and videos of the Unesco Heritage Site that many regard as the heart of Tibetan Buddhism engulfed in flames triggered an outpouring of concern among Chinese internet users.
Despite the apparent ferocity of the blaze, the main building of the temple was not damaged, and all 6,510 of its registered relics were safe, the report said.
