The Manchester Nasfat Islamic Centre on Droylsden Road, Newton Heath, suffered ‘significant’ damage after a fire late on Sunday night.
A suspected arson attack at a mosque in Manchester is being investigated by police and the fire brigade.
The Manchester Nasfat Islamic Centre on Droylsden Road suffered ‘significant’ damage after a fire late on Sunday night.
Emergency services were called at around 11.40pm and around 30 firefighters worked to tackle the blaze, which is now being treated as suspicious.
Images taken by witnesses show flames coming from the roof of the building, lighting up the sky and surrounding houses.
A spokesman for the centre said there was no one inside at the time, and that they received a call in the night to say ‘it was being attacked’.
The exact cause of the fire is yet unknown but fire investigators are expected to start work on the scene on Monday.GMFRS confirmed: “We were called at 11.43pm to Droylsden Road in Newton Heath to reports of a fire. We sent five pumps to the scene and an investigation is now underway.”
A spokesman for GMP added: “The fire is being treated as suspicious and a joint investigation has been launched by GMP and GMFRS.”
In 2014, a minibus the centre uses to ferry young and elderly visitors to the mosque, was torched.
Classrooms destroyed in fire
Three classrooms have been ‘gutted’ by the fire and there is severe damage to the main area of worship.
There is also damage to a window grill at the back of the building.
‘Almost everything we have is gone’
Monsurat Adebanjo-Aremu, branch secretary at the centre, says the building has been ‘gutted’ by the blaze.
Photographer Sean Hansford is at the scene of the fire and has sent us back these pictures of the damage.
Damage to the Nasfat Islamic Centre (Image: Manchester Evening News)
News)
Damage to the Nasfat Islamic Centre (Image: Manchester Evening News)
10:03
Pictures show damage to the mosque
Photographer Sean Hansford is at the scene of the fire and has sent us back these pictures of the damage.
Damage to the Nasfat Islamic Centre (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Damage to the Nasfat Islamic Centre (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Damage to the Nasfat Islamic Centre (Image: Manchester Evening News)
09:49
Mosque has been regularly targeted
Monsurat Adebanjo-Aremu, secretary, says this is the third such major fire incident in a year.
She says people have also urinated outside and two pigs’ heads have been thrown into the mosque during worship.
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