Giza church fire

The church is named for Saint Mercurius, known in Arabic and among the worshippers as 'Abu Sefein', and it is one of the largest churches in Giza. Egyptian law strictly regulates construction in churches, historically requiring a presidential decree to gain a building permit. Due to the difficulty in gaining approval for projects, unauthorized construction is widespread, often without following fire safety regulations. It had initially been converted into a church without a permit, though it was retroactively legalized. Multiple fires have occurred in public areas throughout Egypt, including the 2002 El Ayyat railway fire which resulted in 370 deaths; a 2020 hospital fire that killed seven patients; and the 2021 Cairo clothing factory fire that resulted in 20 deaths. ==Fire==

The Ministry of Interior said that the fire was caused by a faulty air-conditioning unit on the second floor of the church. According to the Ministry of Health most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation or being trampled in the stampede to escape the building. The church hosts a nursery in its fourth floor. A neighboring church's priest said that children were taken to higher floors to escape the blaze instead of being evacuated. == Victims ==

The fire resulted in 41 deaths and 45 non-fatal injuries. One local hospital's records showed 20 bodies received, among them 10 children, while another local hospital received 21 bodies. == Investigation ==

The fire's death toll was among the largest in Egypt's recent history, and the country's top prosecutor ordered an investigation into the blaze. == Response ==

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement expressing his regret, saying, "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the innocent victims that have passed on to be with their Lord in one of his houses of worship," Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that each deceased person's family would be given 100,000 Egyptian pounds ( USD) in compensation, while those injured would be given up to 20,000 Egyptian pounds ( USD), and the Minister of Social Solidarity further announced that al-Azhar Mosque and other civil society groups would be offering an additional 50,000 Egyptian pounds ( USD) to the victims and their families. Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egypt national football team, also tweeted his condolences, ==See also==