Cause of Jesus Dome fire being investigated
A crime scene manager is on scene at the Durban Christian Centre which went up in flames last night. The popular Jesus Dome in Mayville was destroyed in a massive blaze.
Six Enforce Security vehicles and a police vehicle are parked outside the entrance to the church on Garth Road.
The security guards have cordoned off the parameters of the Church preventing private vehicles from parking on the roadside.
There's little movement on the premises with only a handful milling about the property.
Earlier an insurer visited the scene. While there is no traffic, vehicles make their way slowly past the church turning their heads to see the damage done overnight.
WATCH: Massive fire engulfs Durban Christian Centre
One church member who wanted to see the extent of the damage herself says members on the chuch's mailing list received a message shortly before midnight informing them of a change in venue for this morning's prayer which was scheduled for 5:30am to 6:30am.
An emergency services operator says about a dozen fire engines were deployed to the dome at the Durban at any point last night.
It took firefighters just under five hours to extinguish the blaze completely.
Regan Stander, who is with the National Emergency Assist Services, says crews worked well together to douse the blaze and control the crowds that gathered at the Mayville church.
"When we arrived, we were shocked to see the magnitude of the fire. The whole building - the main auditorium - had been engulfed. A lot of crews were put in place to ensure that we could put the fire out and we could get done what we needed to get done.
Jesus Dome Fire: "It is heart-wrenching to see how this place has just come down."
"There were approximately eleven engines on scene at any given point and some crews were brought in from Durban Central. A lot of fire trucks responded form different areas to ensure that a fire of this magnitude gets put out fairly quickly," he said.
(Photos: Khatija Nxedlana)