September 10, 2004
WTNH
Colchester — A pile of rubble is all that remains of a Colchester church that was hit by an explosion this morning.
The blast, reported just before seven this morning, leveled Saint Mary's Ukrainian Church on Route 16.
State police say there were no injuries and all workers at the church have been accounted for, including its priest, the Reverend Kiril Manolev and his family.
Manolev, his pregnant wife, Susan, and a their young son live in a home next to the church and were evacuated safely.
The brick church was built in 1955 and serves 55 families. Members had been preparing for an annual Ukrainian festival in Stamford this weekend.
State police spokesman Sergeant J. Paul Vance says area has been cordoned off and the highway remains shut down in both directions.
Vance says there's no immediate indication of what caused the explosion although the church did have a propane tank inside for cooking.
The state fire marshal was called to the scene as well utility company crews.
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