Buddhist monks watched in disbelief as a 'lucky' temple slipped into the Mekong River when the shoreline collapsed following heavy rain.

The beautiful white Stupa had been built as close as possible to the water in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, because locals believe the nearer it is, the more good luck they will receive.

But after heavy rains last week, the sandy river bank was weakened and on October 21 parts of it began breaking away and falling into the sprawling river below.

Local monks looked on in shock and were powerless to prevent the disaster as the earth began slowly collapsing into the vast stretch of water.

Cracks in the shoreline began spreading before they eventually caught up with the ornate white Stupas, with two of the buildings plunging into the river in the Veal Sbov commune.

Worshippers began frantically removing the ashes of their family members from the religious buildings amid fears that more will collapse into the river.

Head monk Set Seng said: ''Most of families who have ashes of loved ones at the pagoda do not live near here. The pagoda is trying to contact them so that they can come and take the ashes out. We are afraid the ashes will be lost to the river.”

Commune chief Yon Sophal said that before the collapse, heavy rains slammed the area causing erosion to the river bank. She said there were also claims from locals that the weakening was caused by sand dredging but claimed that this was ''not the case''.

She added: ''We are contacting the owners to take the ashes of loved ones stored within.''

Buddhist monks watched in disbelief as a 'lucky' temple slipped into the Mekong River when the shoreline collapsed following heavy rain.

The beautiful white Stupa had been built as close as possible to the water in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, because locals believe the nearer it is, the more good luck they will receive.

But after heavy rains last week, the sandy river bank was weakened and on October 21 parts of it began breaking away and falling into the sprawling river below.

Local monks looked on in shock and were powerless to prevent the disaster as the earth began slowly collapsing into the vast stretch of water.

Cracks in the shoreline began spreading before they eventually caught up with the ornate white Stupas, with two of the buildings plunging into the river in the Veal Sbov commune.

Worshippers began frantically removing the ashes of their family members from the religious buildings amid fears that more will collapse into the river.

Head monk Set Seng said: ''Most of families who have ashes of loved ones at the pagoda do not live near here. The pagoda is trying to contact them so that they can come and take the ashes out. We are afraid the ashes will be lost to the river.”

Commune chief Yon Sophal said that before the collapse, heavy rains slammed the area causing erosion to the river bank. She said there were also claims from locals that the weakening was caused by sand dredging, but claimed that this was ''not the case.''

She added: ''We are contacting the owners to take the ashes of loved ones stored within.''