CAIRO, Aug 14 (Reuters) – An electrical fire swept through an Egyptian Coptic Christian church during Mass on Sunday, causing a stampede and killing at least 41 people, most of them children,security sources said.
The blaze started just before 9 a.m. in the Abu Sifin church in the city of Giza where 5,000 people had gathered.
The fire blocked an entrance to the church, causing the stampede, the two sources said, adding that most of those killed were children.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
“People were gathering on the third and fourth floor, and we saw smoke coming from the second floor. People rushed to go down the stairs and started falling on top of each other,” said worshipper Yasir Munir.
“Then we heard a bang and sparks and fire coming out of the window,” he said, saying he and his daughter were on the ground floor and able to escape.
Electrical fires are not rare in Egypt. In late 2020, a fire at a hospital treating COVID-19 patients killed at least seven people.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry said a forensic examination showed that the fire began in the second floor air conditioning as a result of an electrical malfunction.
People and police gather near the scene where a deadly fire broke out at the Abu Sifin church in Giza, Egypt, August 14, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Smoke inhalation was the main cause of death, it said. Families of those who died will receive 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,220), according to a cabinet statement.
Giza, Egypt’s second-largest city, lies just across the Nile from Cairo.
“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,” said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a tweet.
Maher Murad said he left his sister at the church after prayers.
“As soon as I got away from the church by only 10 metres, I heard the sound of screaming and saw thick smoke,” he said.
“After the firefighters doused the fire, I recognised my sister’s body. The bodies were all charred, and many of them are children who were in a nursery room in the church.”
“I don’t know if it was an electrical fire or what happened, but there were kids and old people, we saved whom we could save,” said Kirollos, who was speaking from a hospital where he was being treated for injuries.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Sayed Sheasha
Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Michael Georgy
Editing by David Goodman, Raissa Kasolowsky and Nick Macfie
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Egyptian church fire kills at least 41, most of them children- sources & Latest News Update
Egyptian church fire kills at least 41, most of them children- sources & More Live News
All this news that I have made and shared for you people, you will like it very much and in it we keep bringing topics for you people like every time so that you keep getting news information like trending topics and you It is our goal to be able to get
all kinds of news without going through us so that we can reach you the latest and best news for free so that you can move ahead further by getting the information of that news together with you. Later on, we will continue
to give information about more today world news update types of latest news through posts on our website so that you always keep moving forward in that news and whatever kind of information will be there, it will definitely be conveyed to you people.
Egyptian church fire kills at least 41, most of them children- sources & More News Today
All this news that I have brought up to you or will be the most different and best news that you people are not going to get anywhere, along with the information Trending News, Breaking News, Health News, Science News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Technology News, Business News, World News of this made available to all of you so that you are always connected with the news, stay ahead in the matter and keep getting today news all types of news for free till today so that you can get the news by getting it. Always take two steps forward
Credit Goes To News Website – This Original Content Owner News Website . This Is Not My Content So If You Want To Read Original Content You Can Follow Below Links