A fire at a church in Cairo has killed 41 people and injured 14 others

Cairo, August 14 (EFE) .- At least 41 people died and another 14 were injured in a fire recorded this Sunday at a church in the Impaba neighborhood, southwest of Cairo, the Coptic Church said.

In a statement posted on the Coptic Church’s official Facebook account, sources from the Ministry of Health said that the death toll has so far reached 41 and the injured 14.

“A major fire broke out at the El Martir Abu Sefain church in the Imbaba area during a mass this morning,” the ecclesiastical agency said in a note, citing sources from the Ministry of Health.

So far, the health ministry has provided only “55 cases” transferred to hospitals, without providing multiple deaths.

According to preliminary investigations, security sources told Efe that the fire was caused by an electrical leak in an air conditioning unit on the second floor of the church building, which includes several classrooms. Main cause of death, without giving further details.

He also pointed out that two Egyptian officers and three members of the civil defense were among the wounded.

On the other hand, a source at the Ministry of Health told Efe that the number of deaths increased after the death of several injured people who were in a very critical condition.

Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdelgafar said in a statement that the first call for an ambulance was made at 8:57 a.m. (6:57 GMT) and that the first ambulance arrived two minutes after the alert.

In a note posted on his official Facebook account, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed his condolences to the families of the “innocent” victims.

“I am closely following the developments of the tragic incident at the mosque… and I have ordered all relevant government apparatuses and institutions to take all necessary measures, deal with the incident and its consequences immediately, and provide all medical services to the injured,” the Egyptian president said. EFE

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