The landmark church was constructed between 1850 and 1855 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Advertisement
(Anindya Ghose via AP).
This video shows flames erupting from the windows of St Sava Cathedral.
The city had said of the church at the time, “its special character, historic significance, and aesthetic interest and value of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics of NY make it irreplaceable”.
The New York Fire Department said the fire broke out on the first floor of the Cathedral shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday.
Around 170 firefighters were called to fight the 4-alarm blaze at the church on West 25th Street and Broadway in the Chelsea area of NY on Sunday.
The blaze was largely extinguished three hours later, but firefighters had to beat back small pockets of flames. Authorities did not say what caused the fire. There’s no one reported missing. “The bad news is this church has been destroyed by fire”, he said. “That’s when people were going insane”, he said. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare right now”, he said.
Earlier in the evening, flames could be seen shooting from the church’s roof, and smoke billowed over neighboring buildings. Eyewitness News is told the beautifully ornate church was packed on Sunday morning for Easter service – the day the Orthodox community celebrates the resurrection of Christ.
A fire that broke out at Victoria’s oldest Greek Orthodox church on Monday is not being treated as suspicious.
“I’m still in shock”, he said.
The church was previously known as Trinity Chapel. She was married in the church in 1885.
Advertisement
According to the New York Post, the church now had “deep financial troubles” as it is “battling a major Manhattan developer over a Dollars 100 million project that fell through two years ago”.
