Huge fire erupts at police facility in Egypt’s Ismailia

Cairo, The Gulf Observer: A huge fire erupted at a police facility in the Egyptian Suez Canal city of Ismailia early Monday was now under control, according to witnesses and local media.

Various media report indicated between 14 to 25 people were injured.

Unverified videos earlier posted on social media showed the city’s security directorate engulfed in flames.

Two witnesses said fire engines who earlier arrived at the scene appeared to be struggling to contain the blaze. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties.

Local civil defense sources said parts of the building had collapsed under the fire. The cause for the blaze was not immediately known.

Deadly fires are a common hazard in Egypt, where many buildings are dilapidated and poorly maintained.

In August 2022, a fire caused by a short circuit killed 41 worshippers in a Cairo church, prompting calls to improve the country’s infrastructure and the response time of the fire brigade.

In March 2021, at least 20 people died in a fire at a textile factory in the capital, while in 2020, two hospital fires killed fourteen people.