Arabic version: حريق يدمّر معبداً سيخياً شمال أديلايد

According to ABC News, a fire destroyed Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar, a Sikh temple in Virginia north of Adelaide, overnight. The Country Fire Service responded to reports of the blaze at about 9:40pm on Sunday. The temple, which had been established in a large industrial factory on Old Port Wakefield Road, was destroyed.

About 60 firefighters and 20 trucks attended, with support from the Metropolitan Fire Service, SA Ambulance Service, SA Police and SA Power Networks. CFS Incident Controller Gerry Thomson said crews needed three to four hours to bring the fire under control, with a lack of water in the township complicating the response. He said the fire was believed to have begun near a kitchen area before spreading into the industrial section of the factory.

Refrigeration panels and gas cylinders created further challenges for firefighters, Mr Thomson said. One man who was resting inside the temple was evacuated uninjured. Fire crews were due to remain at the site on Monday to deal with hot spots, while fire cause investigators were also set to attend. The CFS estimated damage from the blaze exceeded $1 million.

Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar president Bakshish Singh said the factory had been converted into a place of worship about two years ago and that the community was “shattered”. Dozens of people prayed outside the burnt temple on Monday morning as destroyed holy scripture was carried out. Sikh leaders said surviving ruins of sacred books would be cremated, while the CFS said it would try to retrieve scriptures beneath the collapsed roof. Police advised motorists to avoid the area because of lane restrictions on Port Wakefield Road in Virginia.