New Delhi - A local Church in the town of Hakha in Burma's western Chin state was burnt to ashes on Monday when a fire broke out, local residents said.

The two-storey Hakha Khuahlun Baptist Church (HKBC) was burnt to the ground from the fire, allegedly ignited by a wire-shock, which broke out at around 12:30 p.m. on November 24th, according to a local resident.

"The fire started in the backroom of the church while the staff were gone for lunch, and the flames burned down the whole building," said the local, who works as a bank manager at the Hakha branch of Myanmar Economic Bank.

He estimates that the loss could be up to 50 million kyat (approximately US$ 38,460), saying, "Nothing could be taken except three stools from the building."

While the local police and fire brigade could not be reached for comment, the local resident told Mizzima that so far there has been no response from the authorities.

"The local authorities just came and looked at the site but did not arrange anything in terms of relief work," the local related.

He added that around 500 members of the HKBC planned to erect a temporary tent with a plastic sheet to be used as a place of worship in the absence of the destroyed church.

The structure had measured 90 x 50 square feet, according to the local.