At least 20 people were killed and 24 others wounded on Thursday as a massive fire engulfed a four-story clothing factory in Egypt’s El Obour city, north of Cairo, according to a statement of the Qalyubia province.
It added that 15 fire engines and 10 ambulances hurried to the scene, including some from the nearby provinces of Cairo and Sharqiya.
The fire has been controlled, said the statement, adding that a prosecution team is investigating the cause and a technical team is assessing the damages.
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Egypt has had a string of fires in recent years, as shoddy buildings have been constructed without safety standards amid a security vacuum following its 2011 revolution.
Last month, a fire in an unlicensed shoe warehouse in the capital’s twin city Giza engulfed a 13-storey building overlooking a major highway. Residents were evacuated but no casualties were reported.
In 2020, a major fire broke out next to a busy Cairo highway as a leak from an oil pipeline set ablaze by passing cars left 17 people hurt. (Xinhua/NAN)