Fire at Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in Manhattan
Fire at Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in ManhattanReuters

A three-alarm fire broke out on Sunday night at a 19th Century synagogue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

The fire broke out around 7:00 p.m. at the historic Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagadol at 60 Norfolk St., according to NBC New York.

Videos uploaded to social media showed heavy flames raging from the top of the building, which appeared to be severely damaged.

Firefighters were forced to battle the fire from the outside because of the intensity of the flames. The roof of the synagogue collapsed because of the flames.

There were no reports of injuries, nor was it immediately clear what sparked the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated, and a search of the grounds around the synagogue will be done Monday, according to NBC New York.

The abandoned building, which was built in 1850, once housed the city’s oldest Jewish Orthodox congregation, reported The New York Times.

The building was originally built as a Baptist church and purchased in 1885 by Beth Hamedrash Hagadol.