Cairo: An explosion in a church adjoining Cairo's Coptic cathedral on Sunday killed at least 25 people – most of them women – and injured almost 50 others.
Security sources said that at least six children were among the dead inside the church of St Peter and St Paul, which is being used for services while St Mark's Cathedral - the seat of the Coptic Orthodox papacy - is undergoing renovations.
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At least 25 killed in Egypt cathedral blast
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for a bomb blast at Cairo's main Coptic Christian cathedral which killed at least 25 people, mostly women, and injured nearly 50 others.
David Effat, 30, was making coffee when he rushed down upon hearing the blast.
"I live right across the street from the cathedral. This is my home church. I was baptised and grew up there," he told Fairfax Media. "I saw body parts and limbs all over. It was a complete demolition job. I couldn't believe all the blood splattered everywhere."
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Mr Effat has been helping coordinate blood donations at the Demerdash Hospital, close to the site of the blast.
"I was trying to find people I know in the rush of bodies being transported, you don't know who's alive or dead. I saw a room with nine beds and two corpses on each bed, mostly women and children. It was gruesome - may God never show us this pain ever again".
Mr Effat, a bank employee who also volunteers and runs youth groups at the church, said some of his friends escaped with minor injuries but one had died.
"I lost a friend of mine. She's not here with us anymore. A kind-hearted and nice girl." He identified her as Neveen Adel, 31, who volunteered at St Peter and St Paul. She has been confirmed dead by Egypt's Health Ministry.
The ministry put the number of injured at 49, but Mr Effat disputed that number: "I think there are probably over a 100 injured. It was a very powerful blast that completely ripped through the women's side of the church and I don't know how there's so little injured. It doesn't add up."
Police and armoured vehicles filled the streets surrounding the cathedral, as protesters gathered outside to call for retribution.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, however, some supporters of the Islamic State militant group celebrated the attack on social media.
A device containing around 12 kilograms of the explosive TNT had detonated on the women's side of the church, the security sources said.
"As long as Egyptian blood is cheap, down down with any president ... the people demand the downfall of the regime," protesters cried outside church, using the signature chant of the 2011 revolt against dictator Hosni Mubarak, who later stepped down.
Egypt's presidential office described the attack as an act of terrorism and declared a state of mourning for three days across the country.
Hani Bakhoum, undersecretary of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate, which is a separate sect, told state television his church would not allow the blast to divide Egyptians.
"We will not allow the terrorist to threaten our national unity with Muslims," Hani Bakhoum said. "We will protect our national unity."
Orthodox Copts, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 90 million people, are the Middle East's largest Christian community. They have long complained of discrimination under successive Egyptian leaders.
"As soon as the priest called us to prepare for prayer, the explosion happened," Emad Shoukry, who was inside the church when the blast took place, told Reuters.
"The explosion shook the place ... The dust covered the hall and I was looking for the door, although I couldn't see anything ... I managed to leave in the middle of screams and there were a lot of people thrown on the ground," he said.
Islamists are waging an insurgency led by Islamic State's branch in North Sinai, where hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed. The insurgents have launched deadly attacks Cairo and other cities.
On Friday, two roadside bombs – one in Cairo and one north of the capital – killed six policemen and wounded six others.
Reuters, with Farid Farid