It was a torrid Tuesday for those who regularly attend the Durban Christian Centre Jesus Dome, the building completely engulfed in flames as firefighters battled long into the night.

ER24 have reported that there were no injuries during the blaze.

IOL below:

The blaze, which started at about 5.30pm, engulfed the multimillion-rand structure, and by the time the eThekwini fire department arrived, the roof had started collapsing. The building in Mayville is a visible landmark on the N3…

A staff member who was in a building close to the auditorium when the fire started said the power distribution board had been tripping and there was an explosion, which was followed by the fire. Another worker who was inside the auditorium when the fire broke out escaped before the flames engulfed the whole building.

You can see those flames in action here:

Churchgoers flocked to the scene and expressed sadness at what they were witnessing, with one guy a big fan of gross hyperbole:

…photographer Andreas Mattios, the former TV producer at the Durban Christian Centre, said: “The closest comparison I can make to what I am looking at right in front of me now is it looks like the twin towers have come down all over again”.

OK Andreas, I think you need to go for a little lie down.

A picture showing the fire at the height of its powers, and then the damage once the fire was contained:

There’s a joke in here somewhere, but I’ll steer well clear of rubbing folks up the wrong way.

[sources:iol&timeslive]