A massive fire has destroyed a Sikh temple in Adelaide's northern suburbs, triggering explosions, towering flames, and the collapse of the building, according to The Tribune.
As reported by The Tribune, the blaze engulfed the Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar in Virginia, with emergency crews responding after the fire broke out at around 10 pm on Sunday.
Around 60 firefighters from the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) and the Country Fire Service (CFS) worked for hours to battle the blaze, which completely engulfed the temple.
According to The Tribune, the Gurudwara is widely recognised for its charitable community outreach and operates a free kitchen (langar) that serves hundreds of free meals every day.
Authorities also issued a smoke warning covering Virginia Township, Old Port Wakefield Road, Sheedy Road, Port Wakefield Highway, Juniper Boulevard, and Penfield Road in Virginia.
It took several hours for firefighters to bring the fire under control. However, emergency crews successfully prevented the flames from spreading to neighbouring properties, The Tribune reported.
Police have launched an investigation to determine what caused the fire.
According to The Tribune, the Gurudwara management said it was too early to confirm the condition of the saroop placed in the Palki Sahib, as the roof of the main prayer hall had collapsed directly onto the Palki Sahib.
The management stated that efforts were underway to cut through and remove the collapsed roof before officials could assess the condition of the sacred saroop.
As reported by The Tribune, the fire spread rapidly within minutes from the langar hall to the main prayer hall of the Gurudwara.
The Sunday night diwan had concluded at approximately 9:30 pm, nearly an hour before the fire broke out.
The blaze became so intense that multiple explosions were reported inside the langar hall building, while a significant section of the Gurudwara collapsed shortly afterwards because of the severity of the fire.
According to The Tribune, police and emergency services immediately cordoned off the area and prevented members of the Sikh community from entering the temple premises.
Although firefighters have now fully extinguished the fire, authorities continue to assess the damage while investigators examine the circumstances that led to the incident.
The Sikh community is also awaiting confirmation regarding the condition of the Guru Granth Sahib saroops that were inside the Gurudwara.
Jathedar Akal Takht Expresses Deep Grief
The Tribune reported that Kuldip Singh Gargaj, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, expressed deep sorrow over the devastating fire that completely destroyed the Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar building in Virginia, Australia.
He urged the Sikh Sangat across the world to remain vigilant to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in Gurdwaras and that appropriate safety measures are implemented. He also offered prayers before Guru Sahib for the continued well-being and high spirits of the Sikh community.
According to The Tribune, Gargaj directed Daljit Singh, President of the Central Sikh Association of New Zealand, to visit the site and assess the situation.
He instructed him to prepare and submit a comprehensive report to Akal Takht detailing the incident as well as the condition of the sacred birs (scriptures) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib that were present inside the Gurudwara.
The Tribune further reported that Daljit Singh would coordinate with local Australian authorities and the management of Gurudwara Dashmesh Darbar to collect complete information regarding the incident.
The Jathedar also instructed the Gurudwara management committee to independently submit a detailed report on the incident to the Secretariat of Akal Takht Sahib.
Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said that Sikhs today reside in many countries around the world, and wherever they have settled, they have Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with them and established beautiful Gurdwaras through their hard work and devotion.
He encouraged the Sikh Sangat of Virginia, Australia, to remain steadfast, patient, and in high spirits.
He said the cause of the incident should be identified with complete transparency so that appropriate lessons can be learned and efforts made to re-establish the Gurdwara.
He also stressed that it must be thoroughly investigated whether any act of mischief or foul play was involved in the incident.
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