A fire erupted in the early hours of Friday morning at an old and unused synagogue in the western Turkish province of Izmir, resulting in the destruction of the synagogue and damage to nearby buildings.
The blaze broke out at the Bet Ilel Synagogue in the district of Kemeralti on Friday morning around 2:30 am. Firemen and police rushed to the scene where the fire had engulfed the entire synagogue and also spread to nearby buildings, whose residents were evacuated.
?
Firemen struggled for two hours to bring the blaze under control. The synagogue was completely destroyed while the roofs of nearby businesses were also damaged by the fire.
?
The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. An investigation into the incident is underway.
?
Local residents said that the synagogue had not been used for 25 years. There are an estimated 2,500 Jews in Izmir.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
