Burned furniture, including wooden tables and chairs, are seen at the site of a fire inside the Abu Sefein Coptic church that killed at least 40 people and injured some 14 others, in the densely populated neighborhood of Imbaba, Cairo Egypt, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022.
The blaze, which started before 9 am during the Divine Liturgy, claimed the lives of 41 people and injured 16 others.
The preliminary investigation indicated that the accident resulted from an electrical short circuit in a power generator, leading to the emission of heavy smoke that was the main cause of casualties.
In a tweet, the European Union Delegation to Egypt expressed its heartfelt condolences to Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the families and friends of those who lost their lives.
UNICEF Egypt posted also tweeted a mourning message saying “many children lost their lives in a fire in the Abu Sefein Church, Giza, which claimed the lives of at least 41 people. UNICEF is deeply saddened by this terrible news. All our thoughts are with the families of the victims.”
The World Health Organization's office in Egypt also extended condolences to the families of the victim
The US Embassy in Cairo offered condolences to Pope Towadros.
The Russian Embassy condoled with the people and government of Egypt, saying: "we convey our sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims. We wish recovery to the wounded."
The embassies of France and German in Egypt also voiced their condolences wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
The embassies of the Netherlands, Swiss, and Belgium in Egypt also expressed condolences over the victims of Abu Sefein Church
Furthermore, many Arab countries extended their condolences to Egypt over the heartbreaking accident, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Additionally, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed in a statement the country's deepest sympathies for the families of the deceased, wishing the speediest recovery of the injured.
"Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people and Government of Egypt in this moment of grief," added the statement.
Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, several state bodies, and Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world's top religious institution, extended condolences to Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who paid visit to the injured at the hospitals, said in TV remarks, said that an immediate compensation of EGP 100,000 will be granted to each of the families of each deceased person and up to EGP 20,000 will be granted to the families of the injured based on the degree of the injury.
This is in addition to multiple forms of support to be provided to the families of the victims during the coming period, he said.
Also, Egypt’s top Islamic authority Al-Azhar and civil society organisations will pay additional compensation of EGP 50,000 to the families of the victims, El-Qabbaj said earlier.
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