Moscow, 16 August 2022 (TDI): The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Monday for a fire that broke out at the Abu Sefein church in Giza, Egypt.

The message reads, in part:

“Mr. President, my dear friend,

I would like to express my sincere condolences over the tragic consequences of the fire that broke out at the Abu Sefein church in Giza.

We share the grief of the victims’ families and friends and hope for a speedy recovery of all the injured.”

Also Read: UK offers condolences over fire outbreak in Egypt

Fire at the Abu Sefein church in Giza

A fire ripped through a packed Coptic Orthodox church during morning services in Egypt’s capital on Sunday. The fire quickly filled the church with thick black smoke, killing 41 worshippers, including at least 15 children.

The cause of the blaze at the church in the working-class neighborhood of Imbaba was not immediately known. An initial investigation pointed to an electrical short-circuit, according to a police statement.

Weeping families waited outside for word about relatives who were inside the church and at nearby hospitals where the victims were taken.

Footage from the scene circulated online showed burned furniture, including wooden tables and chairs. Firefighters put out the blazing fore while others carried victims to the ambulances.

The country’s health minister said in a statement that the smoke and a stampede as people attempted to flee the fire, caused more fatalities.

The blazing fire that caught the church on Sunday highlighted poor enforcement of safety standards and fire regulations. Last year in March, a fire at a garment factory near Cairo killed at least 20 people and injured 24.

It was one of the worst fire tragedies in Egypt in recent years.

Egypt
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