'Our heart and soul is in that building': Devastation after fire breaks out at Salford synagogue

Bosses at a Salford synagogue have spoken of their heartbreak after a large fire ripped through parts of the building leaving 'a lot of damage'.

Members of the area's orthodox Jewish community had begun arriving for a Friday night Sabbath Service when the fire broke out, shortly before 5pm.

Bright orange flames were visible as smoke began billowing from the roof of the Satmar V'Yoel Moshe synagogue building, on Northumberland Street, off Bury New Road. The smoke was visible many miles away.

The fire started in the offices on the top floor of the three-storey building, the Manchester Evening News has been told. No one was said to be in those rooms at the time, however people had begun to gather for evening prayers on the ground floor.

It is understood some of those arriving spotted the smoke and alerted those inside. They alerted the emergency services and began to evacuate the building.

Nachman, who said he was part of the 'management' at the synagogue, said there were around 50 people inside the building at the time. However he said that number would have been much higher had it started just a little while later. "It could have been even more dangerous," he said. "There could have been over 200 people in there."

Six fire engines responded and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly began tackling the flames. They also used an aerial platform to douse water on it from above.

A large cordon was put in place with police officers standing guard at each end. Paramedic vehicles also attended, however it is not understood that anybody was injured.

Hoards of worshippers from Satmar and neighbouring religious buildings could be seen being looking back in horror as they were ushered out from within the cordon. One said: