Suspicious fire destroys Geelong mosque

A MOSQUE that is attended by thousands of Australian Muslim families was destroyed in a “suspicious” fire overnight.

The mosque was destroyed by the fire, which police are treating as suspicious.

A SUSPICIOUS fire has destroyed a mosque in Geelong, Victoria.

Firefighters were called to the Manifold Heights former church at 2.10am on Wednesday, to find it in flames.

Seven crews battled for 50 minutes to bring the blaze under control but the building couldn’t be saved. Victoria Police are at the scene this morning investigating the fire, which they are treating as suspicious.

The inferno was so intense firefighters weren’t able to enter the building because of fears it could collapse.

An enormous blaze has destroyed a mosque in Geelong. #9News pic.twitter.com/78rSrrppiy

— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) May 17, 2016

They were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties.

The mosque was home to the Islamic Society of Geelong, which represents thousands of Muslim families.

Earlier this month, a fire at Victoria’s oldest Greek Orthodox Church in East Melbourne, which forced the evacuation of about 200 people from nearby buildings, caused an estimated half-a-million dollars in damage.

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Originally published as Suspicious fire destroys Geelong mosque