Police and fire officials in Russia are investigating a fire that destroyed a Seventh-day Adventist church in the city of Saransk, east of Moscow.

A night watchman at the church noticed the flames at 1 a.m. on Feb. 4. He escaped through a window and called the fire department, but the wooden roof had already collapsed in the blaze. After an initial inspection of the site, authorities concluded that arson was the most likely cause.

The Saransk church had been slightly damaged in another suspected arson attack in December. At that time, bottles containing flammable chemicals had been thrown through several windows.

Adventist leaders in the region say they are concerned about the increasing violence directed against members of minority religions. In November the son of an Adventist pastor was attacked by knife in the city of Nizhnekamsk, and in December a night guard was killed at an Adventist church in Cheboksary.