A Samoan landmark, the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Pesega was destroyed by fire last night.
Reports from Apia say the temple was burned to the ground.
Although fire fighters arrived on the scene quickly, the scale of the fire and the low water pressure in the area hampered efforts to put out the blaze.
The temple, which was opened in 1983, has been undergoing renovations and it's thought the fire was related to that work.
A nearby church office and school were not affected.
A church spokesman in Samoa says the temple will be rebuilt on the same site.
