Adelaide Gurdwara gutted in major fire, Guru Granth Sahib saroops lost
Canberra: A major fire destroyed Gurdwara Sahib Dashmesh Darbar in Adelaide, South Australia late Sunday night, with fears that saroops [physical copies] of the Guru Granth Sahib may have been burnt in the blaze.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the fire broke out in the kitchen of the langar hall at around 10:30 pm Australian time and spread rapidly to the main prayer hall within minutes. The Sunday night diwan had concluded at around 9:30 pm. Gurdwara management said it was too early to confirm the condition of the saroop in Palki Sahib as the roof of the main hall had collapsed onto it.
Efforts are underway to remove the debris to ascertain the status of the scriptures. Police and emergency services cordoned off the site and did not allow members of the community to enter.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control but several explosions were reported inside the langar hall and a large portion of the building collapsed.
Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj expressed sorrow over the incident and urged the Sikh Sangat worldwide to remain vigilant and ensure adequate safety measures in Gurdwaras.
He directed Central Sikh Association of New Zealand President Daljit Singh to visit the site, coordinate with local authorities and submit a report on the incident and the status of the Guru Granth Sahib birs. He also asked the gurdwara management to send a detailed report to Akal Takht Secretariat.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Jathedar Gargaj stressed that the cause should be identified with complete transparency and it must be thoroughly probed whether any act of mischief or foul play was involved in the incident.
