Official investigations by Beni Sweif Prosecution and the Criminal Investigation Department are underway in the causes of a massive fire that broke out on the evening of 31 August 2024 at the church of the Holy Virgin in the grounds of Bishopric of Beni-Sweif, some 100km south of Cairo.
There were no casualties, but ten were injured mostly because of suffocation by the dense smoke and some light bruises; they were directly moved to hospital. Among the injured were Fr Stephanos Soliman (55), Secretary of Beni Sweif Bishop Anba Ghabrial; and Wassim Fayez (40), Media Coordinator of Beni Sweif Bishopric. A large number of children who were at the site were evacuated unscathed.
The Diocese of Beni-Sweif posted a brief statement on its official web page. The statement read as: “A fire erupted in the tent next to the church of the Holy Virgin in the bishopric grounds courtyard, resulting in significant damage, but there were no casualties. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.”
Anba Ghabrial was present at the scene of the fire until the firefighters were able to extinguish it after some five hours. Once the fire was reported, security and civil defence officials moved to the scene together with the fire trucks and the ambulance vehicles.
A source from Beni Sweif Bishopric said that the fire had erupted around 9:30pm on 31 August in a huge tent adjacent to the bishopric church. The tent had been set up in the bishopric grounds as a temporary place of worship, sine the church building was undergoing maintenance and renovation works. Everything that had been originally housed in the church was taken out and placed in the tent: the benches, drapes, and wooden pieces. This helped the fire rage and spread to the other buildings close by on the bishopric grounds.
The flames devoured the tent and everything inside it, including some 300 benches. Spreading to the neighbouring five-storey administrative building, it scorched three bookshops, the reception hall and offices, burning computers and furniture.
A sizeable part of the Bishop’s residence was also burned.
Mohamed Hani Ghoneim, Governor of Beni- Sweif; and Major General Usama Gomaa, Director of Beni Sweif Security, have visited the Bishopric and inspected the site.
A Bishopric source said that an accurate tally of the damages was being drawn and the site was being cleaned up in preparation for rebuilding.
Watani International
2 September 2024
