Egypt: Fire blackens police headquarters in Ismailia

A major fire broke out at a police station in Egypt's northeastern city of Ismailia on Monday, leaving at least 38 people injured according to data provided by the Health Ministry.

Firefighters were able to douse the fire only after several hours of efforts. Of the injured people, 12 people were treated at the site while the other 26 were taken to hospital for treatment.

Seven people have already been discharged, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said. 

What else do we know about the fire?

There have been no reports of deaths and it is not known how many policemen were inside the building when the fire broke out. The cause of the blaze also could not be determined immediately.

The fire erupted at the headquarters of the Directorate of Security, one of the biggest buildings in Ismailia, and engulfed the multistory building before it was put out.

Videos of the fire circulating on social media showed thick smoke rising from the building which was blackened and was severely burned.

According to French news agency AFP, other videos showed people still trapped inside the building, appealing for help from the windows.

Parts of the building have also collapsed according to civil defense forces. The government has deployed 50 ambulances at the site and two military planes are on the way, as per state media reports.

Fire safety regulations are often not properly enforced in Egypt. In 2022, there were over 49,300 fires resulting in 203 deaths and 855 injuries, according to the country's official statistics office.

A fire at a Coptic Orthodox church in Cairo during morning services in August last year killed 41 people, making it one of the deadliest fires in Egypt's history.

mf/ab (AP, AFP, Reuters)