2 Sikh Preachers Badly Injured in Temple Fire

Fire destroyed New York City’s most prominent Sikh temple, injuring six visiting preachers from India, two of them critically.

The fire began just after midnight and may have been caused by a gas leak, fire officials said.

“The [fire] chief told me there’s no reason to believe there’s anything suspicious,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. Two men, ages 39 and 37, were in critical condition, Jamaica Hospital spokesman Mike Hinck said.

In the interim, a two-story house next door will be used for worship, according to Harpreet Singh Toor, chairman of the Sikh Cultural Society at the temple in Richmond Hill.