Huge blaze devastates Serbian Orthodox Church in Manhattan on Easter Sunday (VIDEO)

Author: RT

May 1, 2016 at 21:52

A huge fire has engulfed a Serbian Orthodox Church in downtown Manhattan, on the day that Orthodox Christians are celebrating the Holy Easter.

More than 170 firefighters f-rom the New York City Fire Department are battling the blaze, which has been upgraded to a four-alarm incident.

#FDNY members operating at 4-alarm fire at 25th & Broadway #Manhattan pic.twitter.com/gjrnQ0MAjC
— FDNY (@FDNY) May 1, 2016

While initial reports suggested that there might have been people trapped inside the burning building, fire crews working on site confirmed there were no injuries or casualties.

“We're all alive, but the building is gone,” the parish priest, Fr. Djokan, told RT.

Firefighters are trying to contain the blaze that started at around 7:00pm local time.

Manhattan *3 Alarm Fire* West 25 St & Broadway, Watch FOOTAGE @FDNY Battling MASSIVE FIRE #NYC 140+ Firefighters o/s pic.twitter.com/9DKU9FmvdZ
— NYS Hock (@911fb) May 1, 2016

Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava #newyork @SkyTG24 @MediasetTgcom24 pic.twitter.com/yx69DhzeuA
— Fabrizio Chessa (@FabrizioChessa) May 1, 2016

Social Media footage f-rom the scene of the accident on West 25th Street in Manhattan shows an inferno swallowing the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, a historic church located at 15 West 25th Street between Broadway and the Avenue of the Americas in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

Huge fire at Serbian Orthodox Church on w 25th street in Manhattan - ppl crying, horrible fire pic.twitter.com/S5qTp2Eg9O
— Mike Gallagher (@radiotalkermike) May 1, 2016

More. pic.twitter.com/TKIZNN73ft
— Micha Ward (@MGBWard) May 1, 2016

The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the building, designated a New York City landmark, f-rom the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943.

Fire in DT Manhattan. Apparently in a church w people trapped inside. Via @pzf photo @GGuiu pic.twitter.com/g1kNComI2A
— Garcia de la Granja (@PilarGGranja) May 1, 2016

Sad news - One of historical New York City edifices, St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox church engulfed in massive fire pic.twitter.com/YxOPZMMihY
— Sava Janjic (@SavaJanjic) May 2, 2016