Giza church fire
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (August 2022) |
| Date | 14 August 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Giza, Egypt |
| Type | Fire |
| Deaths | 41 |
On 14 August 2022, a fire broke out at the Abu Sefein Church, a Coptic church in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, during Sunday worship services.[1] The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population reported that 41 people had died, including several children, along with 12 injured.[2][3][4][5] The church's bishop, Abdul Masih Bakhit, was among those killed in the fire. One local hospital's records showed 20 bodies received, among them 10 children, while another local hospital received 21 bodies.[6]
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said that the fire was caused by a faulty air-conditioning unit on the second floor of the church, an area of the building with several classrooms. Most of the deaths were, according to the Ministry of Health, due to smoke inhalation and being trampled in the stampede to escape the building.[5] Eyewitnesses reported that people had attempted to jump to safety from the upper floors to escape the fire.[6]Electrical fires occur often in Egypt, where building and inspection standards are substandard and poorly enforced.[7][4] The fire's death toll was among the worst in Egypt's recent history, and the country's top prosecutor ordered an investigation into the blaze.[6][5] Relatives of those trapped in the church said that the paramedics and firefighters were slow in reaching the site, while the Health Ministry said the first fire truck arrived two minutes after the first reports of a fire were received.[6]
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement expressing his regret, saying "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the innocent victims who moved to the side of their Lord in one of the houses of worship."[2] Al-Azhar Mosque expressed its condolonces, and the Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb offered his sympathy to the Coptic Pope Tawadros II.[8]
References
- ^ "At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire: Officials". Al Jazeera English. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ a b Salem, Mostafa; Kourdi, Eyad; Engels, Jorge; Humayun, Hira (2022-08-14). "Children among dozens killed in Egypt church fire". CNN. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ "41 dead, 12 injured in Church of Abu Sefein blaze in Imbaba". Daily News Egypt. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ a b "At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire, security sources say". Reuters. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "Fire at Egypt Coptic Church Kills Dozens During Sunday Prayers". The New York Times. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ a b c d Magdy, Samy (2022-08-14). "Officials: Fire at Coptic church in Cairo kills 41, hurts 14". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ "A fire at a church in Cairo kills 41 people and hurts 14 others". NPR.org. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ "Al-Azhar, state bodies extend condolences over Giza church fire; psychological support teams for injured dispatched - Society". Ahram Online. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
 | This article about disaster management or a disaster is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This Egyptian history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |