A massive fire is raging at the police headquarters in Ismailia Egyptin the Suez Canal, where hospitals were put on alert in anticipation of possible casualties, a source in the Egyptian security forces told AFP.
The fire, the cause of which is not yet known, broke out at the headquarters of the Security Directorate and visuals uploaded to social networking sites show huge flames engulfing many floors of the imposing building.
So far no official casualty count has been given. Generally, police and military personnel are in the building at all hours, day and night.
State media and authorities have so far made no comment on the fire, which broke out on the day President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was expected to announce – according to his supporters – his candidacy in December’s presidential election.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that fire engines were on the scene but were struggling to control the blaze.
According to sources close to civil protection and as reported by international agencies and the Athens News Agency, parts of the building collapsed due to the fire.
Fires, often due to short circuits, are not uncommon in the Arab world’s most populous country (105 million inhabitants), where infrastructure is dilapidated and/or poorly maintained.
In August 2022, an accidental fire killed 41 worshipers inside a church in a narrow street in a working-class district of Cairo, sparking a battle over infrastructure and fire response time.
In March 2021, at least 20 people died in a fire at a textile factory in an eastern sector of Cairo. In 2020, two hospital fires claimed the lives of 14 people.
Source: News Beast
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