Repair work on 17th century Sinquerim church begins

Panaji/Calangute:

Repair work

on the roof of the 17th century

St Lawrence Church

at

Sinquerim

, which was damaged in a

lightning strike

on Saturday, has begun.

Parish priest Fr Agnelo Fernandes highlighted the need for a lightning conductor to protect the church from any future strikes. Every lightning strike damages and weakens the structure, he said, adding that the Aguada lighthouse has a lightning conductor, but it doesn’t protect the church, which requires its own.

At present, only the roof is being repaired to protect the church from the rain. The smashed tiles and broken wooden framework that supports the tiles are being replaced, according to church committee member Lawrence Silveira.

Work on the damaged steeple will be taken up later. “We will not take up restoration work of the steeple in a hurry. We will find the right people who can do the job while maintaining its historicity and originality,” parish priest Fr Agnelo told TOI.

The lightning strike on Saturday night during a thunderstorm had shattered one of the towers on the side of the steeple leading the stones to crash on the roof, breaking tiles and falling inside the church, damaging electrical fixtures.

This is the second time that the church whose foundation was laid in 1630 has been damaged by a lightning strike. In a similar incident around 15 years ago the same tower had been hit by a lightning strike, sending it tumbling down.

Five of the 16-foot beams are broken besides other portions of the wooden framework. Damage was also caused to the prayer room and portico. The lightning strike also blasted all electrical appliances from Wi-Fi routers, adapters to the television.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, sarpanch and panch member visited the site and assured assistance under the Disaster Management Act.


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