Fast Church Fire Kills More Than Forty. Including 18 Children.

A fire broke out at a church in Giza’s Imbaba neighborhood in greater Cairo on Sunday, killing at least 41 people.

An electrical failure started the fire in an air conditioning unit on the church’s second floor, the interior ministry said.

Most of the deaths and injuries were caused by smoke inside church classrooms after the electric failure, according to local rescue personnel.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi tweeted his condolences to the victims of the fire at the Abu Sefein Church and said he had directed state agencies and institutions to take the necessary measures to immediately deal with the tragedy and provide care for those injured.

One worshipper said she had just made it out of service when her mother called her to see if she was okay. She looked back and saw the church was billowing black smoke.

For more on this story, please consider these sources:

1. Officials: Fire at Coptic church in Cairo kills 41, hurts 14  The Associated Press – en Español
2. Children among dozens killed in Egypt church fire  CNN
3. Fire at Coptic Church in Egypt kills dozens, mostly children: report  Fox News
4. Egypt church fire kills scores of people  Reuters
5. Fire Kills at Least 41 at Egyptian Coptic Church, Nursery  The Wall Street Journal