A North End church is grieving the death of two congregants in a suspected arson that prompted police to launch a homicide investigation.
“Our heart is broken about this. We are still mourning,” said a man who identified himself as a pastor from House of Covenant International Church at 1410 Main St.
“It’s devastating for everybody. Our church members, we need just more time to heal from this tragedy.”
First responders found Geda Wodisso, 49, and Zenabu Gula, 38, in one of the suites and gave them emergency care before they were taken to hospital where they died. (Kevin Rollason / Free Press)
Police were called to the church, which has suites upstairs, after firefighters responded to a blaze sparked around 3 a.m. Saturday.
First responders found Geda Wodisso, 49, and Zenabu Gula, 38, in one of the suites and gave them emergency care before they were taken to hospital.
They later died, the Winnipeg Police Service said.
In a news release, police said the fire was suspicious and homicide detectives were investigating.
The pastor, who declined to provide his name, said the victims were a couple and were living in one of five suites above the church, he said.
He described House of Covenant as “not a big, big church,” saying it is attended by Christians from the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities.
Wodisso and Gula have family in Winnipeg, he said.
“We continue as a church to just meet with them and support them with anything that they need right now,” the pastor said. “It’s a cultural thing. We take grief deeper… so it’s a difficult thing for us just to talk about this.”
No arrests have been made.
On Thursday, the police public information office offered no update about potential suspects and would not comment on what led investigators to classify the blaze as suspicious.
The pastor said he had no additional information about the fire.
Nobody has been allowed to return to the building since the fire and church services are being conducted at other locations, he said.
The structure was engulfed in flames and smoke when fire crews arrived. A nearby building was evacuated as a precaution, and a Winnipeg Transit bus provided shelter, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said at the time.
Crews initially fought the flames from inside, but as the situation worsened, they withdrew and used an aerial ladder to extinguish the fire. A drone was also sent up to help find hot spots, the WFPS said.
The fire is at least the second time in recent months that an arson has resulted in death.
Nirmaljeet Kaur, 30, died while she was sleeping in a Keewatin Street townhouse Aug. 30 after a suspect intentionally burned a couch that was resting against the building.
Police later charged Izak Catlen Eldon Sararas, 27, with manslaughter. He also faces a robbery charge, two counts of arson with disregard for human life and four counts of arson causing damage to property.
Anyone with information regarding the church fire, including video surveillance, is asked to call investigators at 204-986-6508 or contact Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.