SEOUL: A 70-ton granite statue of Buddha which toppled over face-down 1,300 years ago in South Korea has been unearthed with its features intact.

The 5.6-metre sculpture was in May found buried in the south-eastern city of Gyeongju and has been partially unearthed after months of work, news reports said on Tuesday.The nose missed a rock by only five centimetres when the statue toppled, the English-language JoongAng Daily quoted specialists as saying.

“It was a miracle that the Buddha’s face was saved by only five centimetres,” the Venerable Jigwan, administrative head of the Jogye Buddhist Order, told the newspaper.

So far the face, chest and shoulders have been excavated.—AFP