Church fire kills at least 41, most of them children

Church fire kills at least 41, most of them children41 people were killed Sunday in fire that broke out during mass at Cairo Coptic church. The blaze was reported to start for unknown reasons

by Agence France-Presse

14-08-2022 18:47

in Christian Connect

A picture shows the damage at the Abu Sifin church located in the densely populated Imbaba neighbourhood west of the Nile river, part of Giza governorate, on 14 August, 2022, after more than 40 people were killed when a fire ripped through a Coptic Christian church during Sunday mass. Witnesses described how people rushed into the burning house of worship to rescue those trapped but were soon overwhelmed by the heat and the deadly smoke. Photo: Khaled DESOUKI / AFP

A fire that broke out Sunday in a Coptic Christian church in Egypt's capital Cairo killed 41 people, church officials said.

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The blaze started for unknown reasons at the Abu Sifine church in the capital's northwestern, working-class district of Imbaba, officials said.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared on his Facebook page that I have mobilised all state services to ensure that all measures are taken .

Fire services later said the blaze had been brought under control.

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Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East, making up at least 10 million of Egypt's 103 million people.

The minority has suffered attacks and complained of discrimination in the majority Muslim north African country, the Arab world's most populous.

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Church fire killed 41 Copts have suffered reprisals from Islamists, particularly after Sisi overthrew former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, with churches, schools and homes burnt down.

Sisi, the first Egyptian president to attend the Coptic Christmas mass every year, recently appointed a Coptic judge to head the Constitutional Court for the first time in history.

Egypt has suffered several deadly fires in recent years.

In March 2021, at least 20 people died in a blaze in a textile factory in the eastern suburbs of Cairo.

In 2020, two hospital fires claimed the lives of 14 Covid-19 patients.

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Agence France-Presse

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