A bronze statue in a Seattle park modeled after Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old Japanese girl who died of leukemia following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, has been found missing from the ankles up, U.S. media reported Sunday.
The theft, which was discovered Friday, has been reported to police by the city government. Experts believe the statue was severed to steal its valuable bronze cast, as the price of the metal has been increasing.
The life-sized statue, titled "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," has been displayed in Seattle's Peace Park since 1990. It stands about 150 centimeters tall and depicts Sadako holding up a folded paper crane.
Sadako is an iconic victim of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima as she folded over a thousand paper cranes in her hospital bed while praying to get well. In Japan, it is believed that one's wish will come true if one makes a thousand paper cranes.
Sadako, who died in 1955, is also commemorated in the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park.
Many people visit the monument in Seattle each year to offer paper cranes and wish for peace.
Local metal scrap dealers have reportedly been notified about the incident.
In 2003, the statue had its right arm cut off but was repaired the following year with donations from around the world.
Related coverage:
Oppenheimer reportedly apologized in 1964 meeting with A-bomb victim
Hiroshima urges Israel to cease Gaza attack in peace ceremony invite
Atomic bomb survivor who met G7 leaders gets U.S. honorary doctorate
