Photos: Church and Chapel in Shirak Village Caught Fire Simultaneously

Under unclear circumstances, almost simultaneously on June 30 around 15:00-16:00, the chapel and the partially ruined St. Minas Church in Shirak Village of the Shirak region caught fire.

Hamlet Asatryan, the administrative head of Shirak, informed Sputnik Armenia that the chapel was completely burned down, and two firefighting units participated in extinguishing the fire, while the fire that broke out in the church was quickly contained.

“Part of the village was aware that the chapel was burning, while others knew about St. Minas. While I was busy with the chapel’s fire, I learned about the church fire. Within seconds, two holy places burned down. It’s strange,” said Hamlet Asatryan, adding that the villagers are confused about what could have caused the fires to occur at two different holy sites in the village.

The St. Minas Church is a 19th-century church that is partially ruined. The area that burned was adapted for candle lighting. The chapel was built in the 1920s.

Photos by Hamlet Asatryan, Shirak’s administrative head.