Fire destroys former war museum in Hania, Crete

A massive, rapidly spreading fire broke out Sunday evening at the old Italian barracks that used to house the War Museum in Hania, on the island of Crete's west end, and has almost completely destroyed the building.

There were no reports of injuries.

It is not known what started the fire which took hold of the 3,000-square-meter building, ravaging its interior wooden structure, around 9.30 p.m. on Sunday.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze in the early hours of Monday and prevent it from spreading to an adjuscent park and nearby buildings.

"We have lost a rare architectural monument which was of great value to the city," said Hania Mayor Tassos Vamvoukas as he visited the scene of the fire.

The biggest part of the collection of the now-defunct museum has been moved to the Athens War Museum.