Egypt: Fire in Coptic church claims 41 lives

Source: Vatican News

A blaze at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Giza, on the west bank of the Nile claimed 41 lives, including ten children, on Sunday morning. At least 14 worshippers were injured. Church officials say this is one of the worst fires in memory and comes as the country is in the grip of blistering summer heat.

It has been reported that the fire, sparked by faulty electrics in an air conditioner unit in the second floor the Abu Sifin church, spread very quickly just as around 5,000 worshippers were gathering for the 9am Mass. The congregation heard a loud bang before flames and smoke engulfed the second floor.

The horror was made worse when an entrance was blocked by flames, causing a stampede. One witness said people were rushing to go down the stairs and started falling on top of each other.

Authorities say the emission of a cloud of thick smoke was the main cause of injuries and deaths.

A statement issued by Egyptian health agencies said that 30 ambulances were dispatched to the church, and the injured were transferred to two local hospitals.

Egypt's authoritarian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, said in a tweet: "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the innocent victims that have passed on to be with their lord in one of his houses of worship."