At least 16 dead in bomb blast at church in Egypt's Alexandria: Ministry

April 10, 2017 | 08:51

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CAIRO: At least 16 people were killed in a Sunday (Apr 9) bombing at a church in Alexandria, Egypt's health ministry said, hours after a deadly bomb went off at a church in a Nile Delta town 100km north of Cairo.

Egyptians wheel away a body near a church in Alexandria after a bomb blast struck worshippers gathering to celebrate Palm Sunday on Apr 9, 2017. (Photo: AFP)

40 more were injured in the blast at Saint Mark's church in Alexandria, the ministry said in a statement.

The explosion comes just hours after a bombing rocked a Coptic church in Egypt's Nile Delta, killing at least 27 people and injuring 78.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for both blasts, which took place on Palm Sunday - just a week before Coptic Easter and the same month that Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Egypt.

Egypt's interior ministry said that a suicide bomber had tried to storm the church where Coptic Pope Tawadros II was leading a Palm Sunday service, but blew himself up when police prevented him from entering.

A Coptic church official said Tawadros had left the church before the blast.

AFP

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