440-lb Buddha statue crushes 2 men, killing 1

A pair of workers were trying to move a Buddha statue in northeast Thailand when they reportedly became crushed under its weight.

Saranyu Kanyamai was killed and his colleague, identified only as Adisak, had his legs mangled when the 440-pound monument fell on top of them Wednesday afternoon at the Wat Ban Non Kaet, according to British publication Metro.

Saranyu died from a chest injury at the scene, Metro said, while Adisak was rushed to the hospital.

The statue — which a temple abbot said was meant to bring good luck — was being relocated for a cremation ceremony. A law enforcement official reportedly said the temple didn’t have many workers, which may have been a factor in the incident.

A photo seemingly from the site of the mishap shows a fallen gold statue facing downward on concrete. The temple where the accident occurred is located in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province, which borders Cambodia.

Locals claimed a worker at the temple was killed a few years ago by fallen scaffolding.

Roughly 90% of Thailand’s 70 million residents are Theravada Buddhist, according to the U.S. State Department.