Thai temple in Tokyo destroyed by fire

BANGKOK, April 10 (TNA) - A Buddhist Thai temple in Tokyo has been totally destroyed by a fire, but no casualties have been reported. Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sek Wannamethee, who is also Director-General of the ministry’s Department of Information, told journalists on Friday that the Thai temple, Wat Buddha Rangsi, located in Tokyo’s Hachioji Precinct, was hit by the blaze at about noon (local time) on April 9, while firefighters rushed to the scene to bring the blaze under control. The spokesman said the Thai Embassy in Tokyo had informed the ministry that only the abbot and another monk were at the temple when the fire broke out and quickly destroyed all the building totally. The spokesman quoted the Thai Embassy in Tokyo as reporting that all four monks staying at the burnt temple are safe and they have been provided with a temporary shelter. According to the spokesman, the Thai Embassy in Tokyo will issue new passports to the four Thai monks, as their previous ones and all other belongings were also destroyed, while Japanese authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. (TNA)