Dozens injured in huge fire at police headquarters in Egypt's Ismailia

At least 38 people were injured when a huge fire broke out at the police headquarters in northeastern Egypt, the health ministry said.

The blaze ripped through the multistory police headquarters in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, according to Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry.

He said 12 of the injured were treated at the site, while 26 others were taken to hospitals, all but two suffering from breathing difficulties. Seven of the injured were treated and discharged, he said.

It was not immediately clear how many police were in the building at the time of the blaze, which severely damaged the building according to local media.

Videos circulated on social media showed flames and black smoke pouring from the building.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. The state-run MENA news agency said firefighters managed to put out the fire.

The health ministry deployed 30 ambulances to the scene and two military planes are en-route, according to state media.

Deadly fires are a common hazard in Egypt, where fire codes are rarely enforced.

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 14 people.

There were more than 49,300 fires in Egypt in 2022 which resulted in 203 deaths and injuries to 855 people, according to the country’s official statistics agency.