At least 41 people have been killed and 50 injured in a fire inside the Abu Sefein Church in Giza, Egypt. The fire blocked an entrance to the church, causing a stampede as most of those killed were children, two security sources told Reuters
Forensic examination indicated that the fire broke out due to an electrical malfunction in an air conditioner on the church’s second floor, which comprised a number of classrooms, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The fire created heavy smoke that was the main cause of casualties, the ministry explained.
Father Abdel Masih Bakhit, the priest of the church, was killed in the fire, the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Centre announced.
After 30 ambulances were dispatched the scene, all victims were transferred to Imbaba General Hospital and Al-Agouza Hospital for treatment, according to Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar.
Abdel-Ghaffar added that all hospitals in Cairo and Giza governorates were put on emergency alert, noting that all the needed blood types and emergency medications were available in the hospitals that received the injured.
The ministry’s spokesperson pointed out that the ambulances rushed to the scene once they were alerted of the blaze at 8:57am, with the first ambulance arriving at 8:59am.
Civil defence forces rushed to the scene in efforts to tackle the blaze after the Giza Security Directorate was alerted of the incident.
The interior ministry said that five civil protection personnel, including two officers, were injured while controlling the fire.
A team from the Public Prosecution inspected the scene after the fire had been put out, according to a statement by the prosecutor's office.
The prosecution sent a team to visit the victims at the hospitals to 'inquire about their status;' they also ordered their criminal lab to prepare a report on the causes of the fire, according to the statement.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi extended condolences to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church following the fire.
Tawadros, for his part, also extended condolences to the victims, saying he is following up on the incident with authorities.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed the government’s full support to the families of the victims and is following up to provide all forms of care to the injured as per El-Sisi’s directives, a cabinet statement read.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj said compensation worth EGP 25,000 will be granted to the family of each deceased person due to the incident.
If the deceased was the family’s breadwinner, the family will be compensated with EGP 50,000 in addition to a monthly pension, she added.
Also, Egypt’s top Islamic authority Al-Azhar and civil society organisations will pay additional compensation of EGP 50,000 to the families of the victims, the minister noted.