A fire damages a Buddhist temple in the Australian city of Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia — A Buddhist temple has been severely damaged by fire in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Around 80 firefighters battled the blaze at the Bright Moon Buddhist temple for more than two hours before it was brought under control on Sunday evening.

There were no injuries in the blaze visible for several kilometers (miles). The cause of the fire was not yet known, Deputy Fire Chief Paul Foster said.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the firefighting effort had been done with cultural sensitivity.

“Not only is it a place of worship, it’s a gathering place for the local Buddhist community, and at all times we engaged with members of that community letting them know what we were doing and taking account of their concerns,” Foster said. said.

Thirty residents were evacuated from the area.