At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire
Dozens have been killed in a fire at a church in Egypt, many in a crush as they tried to escape the building.
By ACN Staff
Coptic Cross. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
On 14 August, tragedy struck as a fire started at the Coptic Orthodox Abu Sifin church in Giza, Greater Cairo metropolis, Egypt. It is reported that at least 41 have been killed and dozens injured, with a minimum of 15 children among the dead.
An electrical fire is reported to have begun while Mass was being celebrated in the Coptic Orthodox church. The church was packed with around 5,000 Christians when the fire started. The fire blocked the entrance to the church, which caused panic and a stampede. The stampede caused a crush which caused many of the deaths.
It is still not known what exactly caused the fire. A local priest said that he thinks it was caused by an overload of a generator, which caused sparks and fire. The building had several floors, with the fire starting on one of the lower floors. Many of the congregants were in the upper stores of the church building, with some throwing themselves from the windows to escape the fire. This tragic loss of life is partly a result of the lack of purpose-designed churches in Egypt with adequate safety features.
The Egyptian president has expressed condolences and has ordered the Egyptian armed forces to help the local parish to rebuild the church.
Christians account for somewhere between 10-20% of Egypt’s population. The vast majority of Egyptian Christians are Copts. The majority of Coptic Christians are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, while there is a minority Coptic Catholic population. The two Churches enjoy a close and friendly relationship.
Christians have faced a long history of persecution in Egypt, including the kidnapping of Christian girls, terrorism, and other acts of violence. However, according to Bishop Kyrillos Samaan, the Coptic Catholic Bishop of Assiut, the situation for Christians in Egypt has been slowly improving in the last few years, with the government giving licenses to previously unlicensed churches, for example. Please join us in prayer for all of the victims of this tragedy.