A fire has destroyed a Serbian Orthodox church tonight in NYC, with firefighters putting out flames late into the night. The fire started around 7 pm destroying an 166 year old church in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. This happened hours after some 700 people gathered to celebrate the Orthodox Easter, their holiest day of the year.
The good news is that no serious injuries have been reported and no one has been reported missing. However the community is devastated, with parishioners saying this was ” one of the only places for Serbians to worship in the city.” The fire quickly escalated to a four-alarm fire requiring some 39 FDNY units and almost 150 firefighters to assist the scene.
What was once a beautiful church with glass stained windows is now in danger of collapsing fully. The building has been destroyed beyond repair. A priest at the church said “he felt like he was in a nightmare” while many others are still in shock. There is no word yet on what may have been the cause of the fire.
Source: CBS
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