Cairo — A fireplace ripped via a church in a densely populated neighborhood of the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Sunday, leaving at the least 41 lifeless and injuring 14, the nation's Coptic Church mentioned.
The reason for the blaze within the Abu Sefein church within the working-class neighborhood of Imbaba was not instantly identified. An preliminary investigation pointed to an electrical short-circuit, in accordance with a police assertion.
The Coptic Church reported the casualty toll, citing well being officers. It mentioned the hearth broke out whereas a service was underway Sunday morning.
Fifteen firefighting autos had been dispatched to the scene to place out the flames whereas ambulances ferried the casualties to close by hospitals.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi spoke by cellphone with the Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II to supply his condolences, the president's workplace mentioned.
"I'm intently following the developments of the tragic accident," el-Sissi wrote on Fb. "I directed all involved state businesses and establishments to take all vital measures, and instantly to cope with this accident and its results."
Egypt's Christians account for some 10% of the nation's 90 million individuals and have lengthy complained of discrimination by the nation's Muslim majority.