VietNamNet Bridge – A fire engulfed the entire furniture of Trasathkong or Tac Gong Buddhist Temple in My Xuyen district of the southern province of Soc Trang on August 13.

The temple’s top monk Thach Sach said that the fire broke out at 3am from the main sanctum. Monks gave the alarm to ask for local people’s help to stamp out the flames and called Soc Trang anti-fire police force.

While waiting for professional firemen, local residents and militias tried to put out the fire but they failed because of lacking specialized equipment.

Around one hour after the flame flared up, two fire trucks and tens of firemen arrived at the site to extinguish the fire.

Monk Thach Sach said that the fire was caused by a 1.2m, 40kg candle. That night monks lit this giant candle, which was surrounded by 40 candles of different sizes.

It is guessed that because of the heat, the big candle bent down and dripped fire to the floor and the fire spread to other candles.

The fire did not injure anyone but it burnt down all the furniture inside the main sanctum.

Monk Thach Sach said the main sanctum was built by concrete so the fire only burnt furniture, otherwise the entire temple would have been burnt down.

Police are still investigating the fire source.

Trasathkong is a temple of more than 800 years old. It is famous in not only Soc Trang but also the entire Mekong Delta. The temple is the religious center of Khmer people in Soc Trang.

Hearing the news, many people flocked to the pagoda to join rescue activities.

My Xuyen district’s officials paid a visit to the temple in the same morning.

Compiled by Ngoc Minh