While the reports and testimonies regarding the “Abu Sefein Church incident” in Giza Governorate, Egypt, continued to be reported, local and external sympathy with the families of the victims and the injured continued.
Yesterday, Sunday, Egypt experienced a horrific event, which resulted in the death of 41 people and the injury of 12 others, during a mass attended by about 5,000 worshipers in the Munira “Abu Sefin” church, located in a slum in the Imbaba area of Giza.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, directed those in charge of the general administration of Al-Azhar’s accounts to quickly coordinate with the NGOs to disburse urgent cash subsidies to the families of the deceased in the church fire.
Al-Tayeb also directed the opening of the doors of Al-Azhar University hospitals to the victims of the accident to provide all aspects of support along with the hospitals of state institutions, as well as providing the necessary psychological support, according to local media.
The Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the fire.
In an official statement, Tawadros said: “We are following with sorrow the tragic incident that occurred this morning in the church of the great martyr Mercurius Abi Sefein.”
The Pope stressed his continuous communication with local leaders in the governorate, the Ministry of Health and all officials.
In a related context, the Engineering Authority of the Egyptian Armed Forces began the restoration and repair work of the church, which was severely damaged.
The restoration work began immediately after the fire, following the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to restore it.
The head of the Engineering Authority of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Major General Hisham El-Suweifi, offered, during a phone call, his condolences to Pope Tawadros II, for the victims of the accident, noting that the Egyptian President had issued directives to the authority to rebuild the burned church.
And the church decided earlier, “to hold funeral prayers for the transferees” this morning, in two groups, one in the ancient Church of the Virgin Mary in Al-Warraq, and the other in the Church of the Virgin and Archangel Michael Balwaraq.
For his part, the Egyptian parliamentarian, Ahmed Abu Hashima, decided to donate 30,000 pounds to each of the families of the fire victims.
This came on the sidelines of a visit by a delegation from the Republican People’s Party, headed by Abu Hashima, on Monday morning, to the Agouza Hospital, which is treating some of the victims of the tragic accident.
poignant positions
Meanwhile, local newspapers reported testimonies and influential positions of eyewitnesses who were present at the time of the incident, which the Ministry of Interior said was caused by a short circuit.
Muhammad Yehia, 30, who lives in the property adjacent to the church, told Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper that he did not hesitate for seconds when he smelled the smell of smoke that filled the area, as soon as the fire broke out in the church.
He explained that he ran to the source of the fire and could hear calls for distress from inside the three-storey building above the ground: “Follow us (help us) … catch us.”
Yahya managed to enter the church, to bring a child with great difficulty to safety, and he says to him: “Don’t be afraid of a door waiting for you outside.
That young man was able to repeat his action with 4 other youngsters, and then carried on his back an old man on his back to the street, but the latter died of the gases that had filled his chest.
Muhammad was unable, as he says, to continue his mission in saving others, as he fell from a “wooden staircase”, which led to a broken leg, which questioned his transfer to the hospital.
On the other hand, another eyewitness, Youssef Raslan, told the website:Masrawy“Muslims and Christians were one hand to save children, men and women,” adding: I saw the church priest and thought he was unconscious, and I tried to save him, but he had died in the fire.
Raslan indicated that they did not leave anyone inside the church; Everyone was rescued with the help of ambulance, police and firefighters.