More than 40 killed in church fire

A fire sparked by an electrical fault at a packed church in a working-class district of Greater Cairo has killed at least 41 people and injured another 45, Egyptian officials have said. The Guardian reports that about 5 000 people had gathered at the Coptic Abu Sifin church in Imbaba, Giza, for Sunday morning services, when a fire broke out just before 9am local time. Flames and smoke blocked an entrance to the church, causing a crowd crush, security sources told Reuters, adding that most of those killed were children. Some people jumped from higher floors in an attempt to escape, witnesses said. The church reportedly included a nursery for children. Fifteen firefighting vehicles had managed to put out the blaze in the narrow street by Sunday afternoon, while footage from the scene circulated online showed damage to the church, including burnt wooden furniture. The Interior Ministry, which oversees Egypt’s police and firefighters, said an initial report found that the fire broke out on the second floor in an air conditioner, which then short-circuited, producing huge amounts of smoke. Smoke inhalation was the main cause of death, it said. Sunday’s blaze was one of the worst fire tragedies in recent years in Egypt, where safety standards and fire regulations are poorly enforced. In March last year, a fire at a garment factory near Cairo killed at least 20 people and injured 24 more.