Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over a fire in a Coptic church in Cairo's Imbaba district, where 41 people died. The telegram was published Monday on the Kremlin website.
"Dear Mr. President, Dear Friend, I would like to express my sincere condolences on the tragic consequences of the fire that took place in the Abu Sefein church in Giza. We share the sorrow of the families and friends of the victims and hope for a speedy recovery of all the injured," reads the message of the Russian leader to his Egyptian counterpart.
According to the country's ministry of health and population, 41 people were killed and about 20 injured in the fire that broke out in the Coptic church in Imbaba on Sunday morning. As the Egyptian interior ministry previously reported, the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring. An air conditioner on the second floor of the building, which housed several classrooms, caught fire, causing heavy smoke. According to the ministry, the dense smoke screen "was the primary cause of death and injury to those inside the building."
Most of the victims were reportedly children who were attending Sunday school at the church. The rector of the church died of burns and injuries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS