Earthquake in Laos shakes Thailand, cracking 425 year old Buddha statue

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Laos shook Thailand and caused a 425 year old Buddha statue in the northern border province Nan to crack. The shake could be felt by those in Thailand’s northern and northeastern provinces.

The earthquake struck at 4:06am this morning with a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division. It was followed by 3.5 magnitude aftershock six minutes later and another 2.4 magnitude aftershock at 5:35am.

The centuries-old statue at the famous Phumin Temple had cracked back in 2019 during a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Reports say the new crack is deep and reveals the mortar inside. Some tiles in the temple’s main hall also fell down. The Nan temple is known for its murals, particularly the one named Whisper of Love that features a man whispering to a woman. The murals tell stories about local daily living and jataka tales.

Other ancient temples in Nan will also be examined to see if they were damaged during the earthquake.

SOURCE: Khaosod