According to government and Church representatives, a fire in a Coptic Orthodox church in Giza, Egypt, claimed at least 40 lives on Sunday, most of them children.
Among the victims were 35 children aged two to six. The fire destroyed the Church of Saint Mercurius (Abu Sefein in Arabic), reported ACI MENA, CNA Deutsch's partner agency for the Middle East and North Africa.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Reuters reported that an electrical fire broke out in the church where people had gathered for the Divine Liturgy.
According to reports, the fire blocked the church's exit and caused widespread panic. The parish priest, Abdul Masih Bakhit, also lost his life in the blaze.
The injured were transported to Imbaba General Hospital and Agouza General Hospital, after 30 ambulances arrived at the scene.
The Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Patriarch Tawadros II, offered his condolences to the families of the victims, as stated in a press release: "We are following with sorrow the tragic incident that occurred this morning in the Church of the Great Martyr Mercurius Abu Sefein, in the Imbabah airport area, north of Giza."
"We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the injured and the sick, confident that the hand of God will be favorable to us all."
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Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi also offered his condolences to the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, stating that his thoughts were with "the families of the innocent victims who have gone to join their Lord in one of His places of worship."
This article was originally published in German by Catholic News Agency Germany ( Article link ).