An ancient and historic pagoda in Chiang Mai collapsed yesterday evening as a powerful storm lashed the city.
Cracks had long been visible in the 500-year-old pagoda at Wat Sri Suphan before it collapsed at around 5pm on Thursday.
The moment of collapse was captured on video by a bystander. No injuries nor damage were reported.
Heavy rain was the suspected cause, as an unusually wet year was compounded by the arrival of a diminished typhoon.
Investigators believe powerful storms hastened the collapse as the base could no longer support the weight any longer.
The temple’s abbot, Phra Kru Pitak Sutthikhun, said he was shocked by the incident. The pagoda had shown cracks for years, but did not receive any proper renovation efforts.
The temple has contacted the Fine Arts department to study the damage.
Early Friday morning, the…
