Fire razes 400-year old Church in Camarines Norte

MANILA, Dec. 26, 2012— A 400 year-old church was gutted by a fire early dawn Wednesday in a remote village in Camarines Norte, police reports said.

Reports at the PNP operations center in Camp Crame said the church destroyed by the fire was the St. Peter the Apostle located at Brgy. Dos, Vinzons town in Camarines Norte.

The reports also said that the fire, which has reached third-alarm and started at around 1:30 a.m. has completely destroyed the church.

Destroyed also were several antique equipment, religious icons and sculptures. Cost of damage by the fire was placed between P8 to P10 million, the reports said.

The St. Peter the Apostle Church is regarded as one of the oldest churches in the country. It was built by the Franciscan Friars in 1611 after establishing Tacboan town in 1581.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. (AV/CBCPNews)