KABUL: A historic 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple in Japan has been severely damaged and largely destroyed by a fire, according to Japanese authorities.
Fire officials said the blaze may have originated from the temple’s centuries-old “eternal flame,” which had reportedly been burning continuously for more than 1,200 years.
According to reports, the sacred fire was first lit in 806 AD by a Buddhist monk and has remained burning without interruption ever since.
The historic flame was also used to ignite the Eternal Flame at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a monument dedicated to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Many Japanese citizens have expressed concern that if such incidents continue, the country could lose more of its historic Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, which are considered an important part of Japan’s cultural and religious heritage.