A Buddhist hall in western Japan famed for housing a centuries-old “eternal flame” has been destroyed by a fire on Miyajima Island.
According to local police, the blaze at Reikado Hall near Mount Misen in Hiroshima Prefecture was first reported on Wednesday, 20 May.
Firefighters brought the fire under control on Thursday, with around 30 personnel deployed to the scene, the local fire service said.
Reikado Hall forms part of the Daishoin temple complex. Its “eternal flame” is believed to have been originally lit more than 1,200 years ago by the Buddhist monk Kukai.