A massive fire has destroyed much of Nepal’s ancient Hinang Pungtsey Buddhist monastery on the border with Tibet, according to sources.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, razed the central prayer hall in the 200-year-old monastery, sources told RFA, adding that most of the prayer books in the building were also torched.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze, and have yet to report any deaths or injuries. Most of the idols inside the monastery were also destroyed, sources said, because of how long it took to contain the fire.
The historic monastery in Nepal’s Chumnubri Rural Municipality-2 Gurkha district also serves as an elder care center.
Outside of India, Nepal holds one of the larger regional diasporas of Tibetans, with about 20,000 living inside the small landlocked Himalayan nation.
Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Edited by Nawar Nemeh and Josh Lipes.