Breaking: Fire Engulfs Central Building at the Tomb of the Baal HaTanya in Haditch

A massive fire broke out at the tomb complex of the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Ukraine, destroying the central building and synagogue, causing millions of dollars in damage. No injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A massive fire broke out last night (Friday) near midnight at the tomb complex of the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the Alter Rebbe Rabbi Shneur Zalman, known as the Baal HaTanya, in the city of Haditch, Ukraine. The fire completely consumed the central building of the complex, including the synagogue that operated there, and caused heavy damage to the kitchen and guest house. The damage is estimated at millions of dollars. Firefighting teams operated at the scene, and an investigation has begun, with the initial assessment pointing to an electrical short circuit. No casualties were reported. The complex, established about 20 years ago, includes a large synagogue, a mikvah, dozens of guest rooms, and a kitchen. It is the second-largest Jewish prayer site in Ukraine, and before the war, tens of thousands visited annually. Currently, about 10,000 people visit per year, about a third of them during the hilula in the month of Tevet. Rabbi Shneur Zalman Deitsch, the rabbi of Haditch responsible for the complex, was not in the city at the time of the fire.