Geneva synagogue destroyed by fire, no injuries

GENEVA, May 24 (Reuters) Police said they suspected arson in a fire that destroyed a large synagogue in Geneva early today.

There were no injuries, a police spokesman said.

''Due to the extent of the fire that the firemen encountered when they arrived to intervene, we tend to think that it was a deliberate act,'' spokesman Philippe Cosandey said by telephone.

''That is the hypothesis that the police technical teams are pursuing now.'' Cosandey said it was too early to determine whether the attack could have been racially motivated, and police had not alerted the local community about the possibility of further danger.

Firefighting authorities were alerted at 0518 local time (0318 GMT) and arrived to find the entire synagogue in flames.

The fire was under control by 0615 local time, according to the Swiss news agency ATS.

The synagogue was built in the early 1970s in the Malagnou suburb of Geneva and has played host to a youth and sports club as well as conferences and receptions.

City authorities were attempting to recover religious artefacts from the ruins of the fire, ATS said.

REUTERS AE KP1251