Fire in Egyptian Church Kills Dozens Of People
At least 41 people were killed and dozens more were injured in a fire inside a church in the Egyptian city of Giza on Sunday, several media outlets reported citing Egypt’s Coptic Church.
According to security sources, an electrical fire broke out as 5,000 worshippers gathered for Mass at the Coptic Abu Sifin church in the Imbaba neighborhood, Reuters reported.
Most of those killed were children
Copts inside Egypt comprise about 10 percent of a primarily Muslim population. Giza, the country’s second-largest city, lies just across the Nile from Cairo.
The sources said that the fire blocked an entrance to the church, causing a stampede, adding that most of those killed were children, as there is a nursery inside the building.
Condolences
“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.
