At least 41 people were killed and another 14 were taken to hospitals for treatment after an electrical fire started in an air conditioning unit on the second floor of the church in Cairo, Egypt as worshipers gathered for Sunday services, according to ABC News.
The first reports of the fire came just after 9 a.m. local time at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Abou Seifain as families gathered in the church for services and Sunday school. The Egyptian health ministry reports that most of the fatalities came from smoke inhalation, with some of the victims reportedly children.
“I am closely following the developments of the tragic accident … and I have directed all concerned state institutions to take all necessary measures, and immediately to deal with this incident and its effects and to provide all aspects of healthcare to the injured,” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said in a Facebook post. He said the army’s engineering authority would assist church leaders with ensuring its stability and rebuilding the structure.