Durban - The Durban Christian Centre’s Jesus Dome auditorium was burnt to the ground on Thursday night causing millions of rand in damage.
The fire which started at about 5.30pm engulfed the multimillion-rand structure and by the time the eThekwini fire department arrived, the roof has started collapsing.
The iconic building is located at the exit from Durban on the N3 near Sherwood and is clearly visible from the freeway.
Video: Blast guts huge Durban church
Durban residents called in to The Mercury to describe how they could see the building aflame.
National Emergency Assist Services director Regan Stande, who was on the scene on Thursday night, said no one was injured.
Read: Cause of ‘Jesus Dome’ blast unknown
“The office staff and other members of the church are still traumatised at the moment,” he said.
A staff member who was in the building when the fire started said the power distribution board had been tripping earlier and there was an explosion, followed by the fire. Another worker who was inside the auditorium when the fire broke out escaped before the flames engulfed the whole building.
The church’s official spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Police spokeswoman Nqobile Gwala said the cause of the fire was not yet known. She said no injuries were reported.
It took fire fighters about three hours to extinguish the blaze.
Hundreds of emotional church members flocked to the entrance of the church upon hearing the news about the fire.
A metro police officer was struck by a vehicle while redirecting the traffic from the scene of the fire and was taken to hospital for medical attention.
The Mercury