06 Oct Fire at Egypt Police Headquarters

A fire has torn through a police facility in Ismalilia, Egypt and raged for several hours before being contained by Firefighters, according to African news sources.

Video shows plumes of smoke ascending into the sky, amidst a roaring blaze.

The fire severely damaged the building, destroyed hallways and collapsed walls in the process. The blaze broke out early in the morning of Monday 2nd, and led to the injury of 38 people, according to Minister Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar.

12 of those injured were treated on site, whilst 26 others were rushed to hospital, all but two suffered from breathing difficulties. During the course of the week, all of the officers have been treated appropriately and are showing signs of recovery.

The Interior Minister, Mahmoud Tawfik said an investigation into the cause of the fire will be opened.

The fire is the latest in a country which is scrutinized for its lax safety standards in official buildings. With the majority of reported injuries being due to smoke inhalation, the building could evidently use improved ventilation in the future, when it is rebuilt from the ground up.