Workers Save Buddha As S. Korea's Wildfires Raze Ancient Temple

Source: International Business Times

Wildfires in South Korea have claimed 24 lives and destroyed thousands of hectares of forests AFP At South Korea's thousand-year-old Gounsa Temple, workers delicately swaddled a giant gilded Buddha statue with a fire-retardant blanket. Hours later much of the temple burned down in one of the deadliest wildfires to hit South Korea -- but the Buddha and the wooden hall it was in survived. All across the country's southeast, officials are racing to relocate priceless historic artifacts and protect UNESCO-listed sites from the blazes, which have killed 24 people and destroyed thousands of hectares of forest.