Dozens of people have died after a fire broke out at a church in Egypt, many of them crushed during a desperate scramble to escape. Officials say the number of dead is at least 41, with dozens injured. Children are believed to be among the dead.
An electrical fire broke out as 5,000 worshippers gathered for Mass at the Coptic Abu Sifin church, security sources told Reuters. The fire blocked an entrance, causing a stampede, they said. Fire services say the blaze has been brought under control. The exact cause of the fire is not clear.
However, Father Farid Fahmy, from another nearby church in the Imbaba neighbourhood, told the AFP news agency that it was caused by a short circuit. “The power was out and they were using a generator,” he said. “When the power came back, it caused an overload.”
Worshippers have been explaining their moments since the blaze ignited.
“People were gathering on the third and fourth floor, and we saw smoke coming from the second floor. People rushed to go down the stairs and started falling on top of each other,” Yasir Munir told Reuters.
Credit: bbc.com
