The evangelical town church in Großröhrsdorf (district of Bautzen) was largely destroyed by fire. Local residents reported the fire around 2 a.m. on Friday, a police spokeswoman said. Previously, some of them had reported a loud bang. Numerous firefighters were on duty. The church was at times completely in flames. First they had caught the roof truss, after about an hour the bell tower had also burned. So far there have been no injuries. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The streets around the church were cordoned off extensively.
The fire was almost completely extinguished in the morning. The fire brigade still have small embers in view, said a police spokesman. The fire destroyed large parts of the church. The foundation walls of the church are still standing, the spokesman said. Emergency services are in the process of securing valuables from the church and neighboring buildings, the police said in a statement.
A fire investigator is expected on Friday, the spokesman said. This is the normal procedure in such a fire. Initially, all directions are determined.
According to the website of the town of Großröhrsdorf, the church is a typical baroque church that was consecrated in 1736. The church tower measures almost 50 meters.
