Boulder crashes in on monks
A monk inspects a giant rock that tumbled down into temple grounds in Ratchaburi.
|
|
A powerful explosion yesterday jolted a group of monks gathered at a temple pavilion but the gigantic boulder that rolled down from the nearby quarry had them running in all directions.
Although flying rocks are nothing new for the monks at Tham Yod Thong temple in this central province, the gigantic rolling stone was just too much for their protective headgear to handle.The monks were unwinding after lunch, their last meal of the day, when a blast at the nearby quarry sent the boulder tumbling to their doorstep. Unlike other temples in the country, this one is prone to danger. Besides their saffron robes, monks here are usually seen wearing white hardhats to protect them from falling rocks. The boulder that landed on the temple ground weighed about 1,000 tonnes. Phra Suppakorn Mahaviro, a senior monk at the temple, said the force of the explosion may have shaken the ground but the rolling stone crushed everything in its path. Fortunately, it did not claim any lives, he said. Monks in the temple located in Pak Tho district have been under threat from the stone excavation business for years. However, only small rocks had previously landed on the temple ground. Residents of surrounding communities last year bought helmets for the monks to protect them. Though the rock-crushing business was temporary closed by the governor late last year, the blasting continues. Phra Suppakorn said he was concerned the situation would not be brought under control before the temple hosts about 50 monks from other areas at a meditation retreat next month. Saichon SrinuanchanThe Nation Ratchaburi
|
