Fire destroys 134-year-old church in Colombia

Bogota, Dec 27 (IANS/EFE) A Spanish-style church constructed in 1876 in the Colombia’s Manizales city was destroyed by a fire, a church priest said.

The fire in the Pius X Church started around midnight on Christmas Eve and left the structure almost completely burned, but no one was injured in the blaze, parish priest Rev. Gilberto Lopez said Sunday.

The church, which was added to the official register of historic buildings in 1983, had an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures that were saved from the fire.

Pius X Church was constructed mainly from wood and bamboo that grows in the area.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which started while the church was empty.

–IANS/EFE