A landmark of the country and also a tourist attraction in Malabo, the Capital city of Equatorial Guinea burned down on Wednesday in an unexplained fire.

St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located on Independencia Avenue in the city of Malabo, home of the Archdiocese of Malabo. It is considered the largest Christian church in the West African nation. It was named after St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

Firefighters battled to bring a blaze at Malabo’s cathedral under control on Wednesday, as flames engulfed parts of the historic building, considered the most important Christian church in Equatorial Guinea.

Dozens of people gathered in silence near the cathedral in the early evening as the fire service sprayed water jets onto the century-old structure.

It was not immediately known whether anyone was hurt in the fire, in which huge flames consumed part of the facade of the building.

Equatorial Guinea is a Central African country comprising the Rio Muni mainland and 5 volcanic offshore islands.

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Capital Malabo, on Bioko Island, has Spanish colonial architecture and is a hub for the country’s prosperous oil industry.

Its Arena Blanca beach draws dry-season butterflies. The tropical forest of the mainland’s Monte Alen National Park is home to gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants.

Cuthbert Ncube, chair of the African Tourism Board offered sympathy on behalf of the African Travel and Tourism community. He added: Equatorial Guinea is, known as a safe place to visit, especially in Malabo and Bata.

Equatorial Guinea is the land of primates with painted faces, soft clouds of butterflies and insects so colorful they belong in the realm of fiction. Yes, Equatorial Guinea has something of a reputation, with a history of failed coups, allegations of corruption, trafficked bushmeat, and buckets of oil, but there is plenty to bring you to this country’s beautiful black-and-white shores.