China temple blaze blamed on tourists’ ‘irresponsible’ incense handling

A blaze that engulfed a temple in China’s Jiangsu province on Nov 12 was caused by tourists’ “irresponsible” handling of candles and incense, according to Chinese media reports.

A dramatic video of the fire that broke out in the three-storey Wenchang Pavilion, which is circulating on social media, showed parts of the roof collapsing and falling as black smoke billowed into the sky.

There were no casualties, and the fire in the temple on Fenghuang Mountain in Zhangjiagang city did not affect the surrounding forest area, reported Chinese news website CCTV.com on Nov 13.

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The report carried a statement from the Zhangjiagang city authorities, who said the fire was caused by tourists’ “irresponsible” use of candles and incense.

According to the statement, the Wenchang Pavilion was managed by the nearby Yongqing Temple.

Although initially reported to be 1,500 years old, it was constructed in January 2008 and completed in October 2009. No cultural relics are housed in the pavilion.

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There are no ancient structures within the temple complex, with all buildings within being modern constructions.

The Zhangjiagang city authorities said that they will “pursue accountability” based on the investigation findings, learn lessons from the incident to strengthen fire safety and prevent such accidents from happening again.