A fire erupted in the early hours of this morning in a large marquee held by the Church to hold Good Friday prayers in Matai, Minya, some 220km south of Cairo.
The fire ate up the marquee and all the contents included inside: the sanctuary set up there, the worship utensils, pictures, books, benches, microphones, electric fittings, and all else on the site.
The marquee had been set up by the diocese of Matai to accommodate some 1000 worshippers for prayers during Holy Week and the Feast of the Resurrection, since the church of Mar-Girgis (St George), the only church in Matai, had been pulled down a year ago in order to build a new one in its place. All the permits needed for the demolition and new building are in place, but construction was delayed because of some dispute involving Matai diocese and a prominent Matai Coptic family.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the locals expect it to have been sparked by an electric short circuit, since no one at all was around the site when the fire erupted.
The prosecution and criminal investigation authorities are working on the matter.
Watani International
26 April 2019