Relatives attend mass funeral for Egypt church fire victims

STORY: Coffins were passed through the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael church where families had gathered to grieve and pray for the deceased, who were mostly children, according to sources.

The blaze started just before 9 a.m. in Giza and blocked an entrance to the church, causing the almost 1,000 attendees to stampede.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said a forensic examination showed that the fire began in the second floor air conditioning as a result of an electrical malfunction.

Smoke inhalation was the main cause of death, it said. Families of those who died will receive 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,220), according to a cabinet statement.