Egypt Orthodox church fire kills dozens of worshippers

A major fire was reported at Abi Sefein Orthodox church in Egypt’s Giza province, west of the capital Cairo, during Sunday mass, leaving at least 55 dead and dozens more injured, some seriously, a health ministry source said.

Ambulances rushed to the scene, moving the wounded worshipers to the nearest hospitals as firefighters battled the flames, the source added.

Prosecutors and investigators checked the scene while the Giza governor visited the victims at hospitals.

Pictures of the incident circulated on social media and published by local news outlets showed the church building severely destroyed.

Unconfirmed reports said the church priest was among the dead. Preliminary reports by the interior ministry said the blaze erupted due to an electrical fault inside an air conditioning unit on the second floor.