A fire at the Coptic Abu Sifin church in the city of Giza, near Egypt’s capital Cairo, left at least 40 dead and 45 injured on Sunday. Many of the victims are said to be children, Reuters news agency reported. About 5,000 people were in the church for Sunday services at the time of the fire.
The fire is believed to have started due to a short circuit, sources told Reuters. The fire blocked one of the entrances to the church, crushing people. An eyewitness told Reuters that people rushed down the stairs of the multi-storey building, tumbling over each other.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has taken to Twitter to express his condolences to the families of the victims. He also telephoned Coptic Pope Tawadros II to express his support with the community.