Massive Fire Destroys ‘Asia’s Tallest Wooden Pagoda’

Fire engulfs a 16-story wooden pagoda at Jiulong Town in Deyang, Sichuan Province of China on Dec. 10, 2017. A huge blaze has engulfed and destroyed a 16-story wooden tower, known as the tallest of its kind in Asia, after a fire, starting at the Lingguan Mansion, raged through a monastery in Sichuan Province, southwest China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

A huge fire burned a 16-story wooden Buddhist pagoda in China to the ground, on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Lingguan Tower in Sichuan province, China before the fire in 2005. ( 用心阁/Wikimedia Commons)

The Lingguan Tower, which has been dubbed “Asia’s tallest wooden pagoda” and is part of the Nine Dragon Monastery, was engulfed in flames for about four hours before firefighters managed to put it out, reported South China Morning Post citing a local government statement. No casualties were reported so far.

The fire reportedly started at about 12.40 p.m. at the Lingguan Mansion complex in Mianzhu, Sichuan province, reported the newspaper.

Fire engulfing Lingguan Tower in Sichuan province, China on Dec. 10. (Screenshot via igztv/Youtube)

The fire spread after high winds pushed the flames towards the pagoda as well as the Hall of Arhan near the Main Hall, according to local Chinese reports. The Main Hall and the Hall of Arhan were reported to be destroyed as well.

The original Lingguan mansion was first erected during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and was destroyed by the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, reported Apple Daily.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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