DOZENS DEAD in Tragic Blaze – Somber Details Released
(UnitedVoice.com) – People are supposed to be safe when they attend religious services. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Dozens of churchgoers have died after a house of worship went up in flames in Egypt.
The blaze broke out on Sunday, August 14, in a working-class neighborhood in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. According to reports, authorities believe an electrical problem set an air conditioner on fire in the four-story building that also housed a daycare. The blaze trapped worshippers inside on the upper floors and killed at least 41.
Families accused first responders of being too slow when the blaze was burning. Civilians reportedly tried to run into the building to save who they could while they awaited the fire department. Church deacon Ishak Henin, 61, told The Washington Post that if emergency personnel had arrived quicker, he thinks more people might have survived.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was one of many who expressed sympathies for the victims and their families. In a post on Twitter, he said he was praying for all those impacted.
I am horrified and profoundly saddened by the fire today at the Coptic Abu Sifin Church in Giza, Egypt. I pray for parents who weep for children, children who have lost parents, for all affected by this terrible tragedy, and for the Coptic Church as it seeks to respond.
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) August 14, 2022
At least 18 children were among the dead. Smoke inhalation caused most of the deaths and injuries. In one family, a man lost his wife and three kids. The survivors are now laying their loved ones to rest and wondering how such a horrific tragedy could have happened.
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