Giza church fire
Map
Date14 August 2022
VenueAbu Sefein Church, Giza, Egypt
LocationGiza, Egypt
Coordinates30°04′30″N 31°11′13″E / 30.07500°N 31.18694°E / 30.07500; 31.18694
TypeFire
CauseShort circuit
Deaths41
Non-fatal injuries45

On 14 August 2022, a fire broke out at the Abu Sefein Church, a Coptic Christian Orthodox church in the Imbaba neighborhood of Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The fire started during Sunday worship services when nearly 5,000 worshippers were gathered.[1][2][3] The fire, which investigations found started due to a faulty air-conditioning unit, spread to a nursery the church hosted, killing 41 people in total throughout the complex, including at least 18 children.[4][5][2] One of the church's priests, Abdul Masih Bakhit, was among those who died in the fire.[6]

Background

The church is named for Saint Mercurius, known in Arabic and among the worshippers as 'Abu Sefein',[7] and it is one of the largest churches in Giza. Egyptian law strictly regulates construction in churches, historically requiring a presidential decree to gain a building permit.[8] Due to the difficulty in gaining approval for projects, unauthorized construction is widespread, often without following fire safety regulations. It had initially been converted[when?] into a church without a permit, though it was retroactively legalized.[9]

Electrical fires occur often in Egypt, where building and inspection standards are inadequate and poorly enforced.[10][2] Multiple fires have occurred in public areas throughout Egypt, including the 2002 El Ayyat railway fire which resulted in 370 deaths; a 2020 hospital fire that killed seven patients; and the 2021 Cairo clothing factory fire that resulted in 20 deaths.[9]

Fire

The Ministry of Interior said that the fire was caused by a faulty air-conditioning unit on the second floor of the church. According to the Ministry of Health most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation or being trampled in the stampede to escape the building.[9] The church hosts a nursery in its fourth floor.[11] A neighboring church's priest said that children were taken to higher floors to escape the blaze instead of being evacuated.[9] Eyewitnesses reported that people attempted to jump to safety from the upper floors to escape the fire.[6][1]

The response time of firefighters to this incident is not clear. The Health Ministry said the first fire truck arrived two minutes after the first reports of a fire were received,[6] however, relatives of those trapped in the church said that paramedics and firefighters were slow in reaching the site, and one witness said it took two hours for a fire truck to arrive.[9] Bystanders reportedly rushed into the church to help evacuate those trapped until the fire's intensity and smoke became too overwhelming.[1] Eyewitnesses reported that the fire began at 8:00 AM and lasted for two hours.[12]

Victims

The fire resulted in 41 deaths and 45 non-fatal injuries.[1][4] Security services reported that at least 18 of the deceased were children.[4][5][1][13] One local hospital's records showed 20 bodies received, among them 10 children, while another local hospital received 21 bodies.[6]

Investigation

The fire's death toll was among the largest in Egypt's recent history, and the country's top prosecutor ordered an investigation into the blaze.[6][9] While Egypt's Copts have faced discrimination, attacks, and religious violence, both the church authorities and the Egyptian state agencies believe the fire to be accidental.[4][14]

Response

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement expressing his regret, saying, "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the innocent victims that have passed on to be with their Lord in one of his houses of worship,"[2][4] Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that each deceased person's family would be given 100,000 Egyptian pounds in compensation, while those injured would be given up to 20,000 Egyptian pounds, and the Minister of Social Solidarity further announced that al-Azhar Mosque and other civil society groups would be offering an additional 50,000 Egyptian pounds to the victims and their families.[15]

Al-Azhar Mosque expressed its condolences, and the grand imam of al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb offered his sympathy to the Coptic pope Tawadros II.[15] Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egypt national football team, also tweeted his condolences,[4] and made a donation of three million Egyptian pounds to help rebuild the church.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e McKernan, Bethan (14 August 2022). "At least 41 people killed in Egypt church fire, say officials". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire, security sources say". Reuters. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ "At least 41 killed in Egyptian church fire: Officials". Al Jazeera English. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Salem, Mostafa; Kourdi, Eyad; Engels, Jorge; Humayun, Hira (14 August 2022). "Children among dozens killed in Egypt church fire". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b "41 dead, 12 injured in Church of Abu Sefein blaze in Imbaba". Daily News Egypt. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e Magdy, Samy (14 August 2022). "Officials: Fire at Coptic church in Cairo kills 41, hurts 14". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ Wimmer, AC (14 August 2022). "Reports of at least 40 people killed in church fire in Egypt". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Egypt 'legalizes' over 1,100 churches built without permits - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Rashwan, Nada; Ward, Euan; Stack, Liam; Joseph, Yonette (14 August 2022). "A Boom, a Fire and a Stampede: Dozens Die at a Coptic Church in Egypt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. ^ "A fire at a church in Cairo kills 41 people and hurts 14 others". NPR. Associated Press. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  11. ^ El-Fekki, Amira; Deng, Chao (14 August 2022). "Fire Kills at Least 41 at Egyptian Coptic Church, Nursery". WSJ. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  12. ^ السيد, مصطفى (14 August 2022). "شهود عيان كنيسة أبو سيفين بإمبابة: "الحريق بدأ 8 صباحًا واستمر ساعتين" (بث مباشر)" [Eyewitnesses, Abu Sefein Church in Imbaba: "The fire started 8 am and lasted two hours" (Live broadcast)]. Al-Masry al-Youm. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  13. ^ Violetta Baran (14 August 2022), "Tragedia w Gizie. W pożarze kościoła zginęło 41 osób" [The tragedy in Giza. 41 people died in a church fire], wp.pl (in Polish), Wirtualna Polska, archived from the original on 14 August 2022, retrieved 14 August 2022
  14. ^ El-Fekki, Amira; Deng, Chao (14 August 2022). "Fire Kills at Least 41 at Egyptian Coptic Church, Nursery". WSJ. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Al-Azhar, state bodies extend condolences over Giza church fire; psychological support teams for injured dispatched – Society". Ahram Online. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Mohamed Salah donates 156,000 dollars to rebuild Abu Sefein Church". Egypt Today. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
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