Building fire (archive)
Building fire (archive)ISTOCK

A yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey was destroyed Sunday morning in a massive blaze which left the building in ruins.

The fire was first reported at just before 3:00 a.m. local time at the Yeshiva Chayei Olam on Faraday in Lakewood.

Firefighters were called to the scene, but were unable to contain the blaze before the yeshiva building had been completely consumed by the fire, Yeshiva World News reported.

The yeshiva’s Torah scroll was destroyed in the fire, with the safe it was stored in falling through the floor as the building collapsed during the fire.

The scroll was later found and removed from the safe, but after it had been torched by the heat surrounding the safe.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.