20170711 Lightning likely cause of fire at 60-year-old temple
Malaysia Jul 11 2017 “Other bldg.”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Lightning likely cause of fire at 60-year-old temple
Updated: 2017-07-11
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Except for its grand arch at the entrance, the wooden structure at a 60-year-old Chinese temple in Tanah Liat, Berapit, here was badly damaged in a fire.
Residents in the area claimed that the fire at the Chee Bee Cheng Kheng temple was caused by lightning which struck the hall at about 1.35pm yesterday.
A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said about 50% of the building was razed.
“Most of the wooden structures were damaged.
“We managed to put out the fire about an hour later,” he said, adding that nobody was hurt in the incident.
A temple committee member, who declined to be named, said the fire spread quickly because there were a lot of paper-mache offerings stored in the temple.
“We managed to recover the figurines of 10 deities which remained intact after the fire was put out,” he said.
Web Source: The Star Online
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/07/11/lightning-likely-cause-of-fire-at-60-year-old-temple/