Islamic Center Hit By Fire

Wednesday, April 11, 5:17 a.m.

By Ryan Leckey

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Fire broke out at the Islamic Center of Schuylkill in Mechanicsville.

Flames ripped through an Islamic center in Schuylkill County Wednesday morning and now members of that place of worship plan to come together to see how they can repair the damage.

Flames broke out at the Islamic Society of Schuylkill County in Mechanicsville around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. It's located just outside of Pottsville.

From the outside, there is not much damage visible, but inside the damage on the walls tells the tale of what happened.

"The cafeteria has all been burned, lots of damage in that area. The entire building has smoke damage and water damage," said Islamic society priest Shiraz Mansoor.

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Portions of the interior were heavily damaged.

The Islamic Society has been in the borough of Mechanicsville for around 20 years.

Firefighters managed to save the second floor from flames where worship takes place, however it still has heavy smoke and water damage.

"We'll just have to get over it and work together in getting the place good again," added Shiraz Monsoor.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.