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 huge fire broke out at a security directorate in Ismailia city in the early hours of Monday morning, injuring at least 38 people. No deaths were reported. The Health Ministry deployed 50 ambulances to the location. Twelve of the injured were treated at the scene of the fire while the rest were taken to nearby hospitals. Two people suffered from burns and 24 from asphyxiation, according to a statement by the ministry. Seven were discharged from hospitals after receiving medical treatment.

Videos circulating on social media showed smoke rising from the entirely blackened multi-storey building. The fire was put out by the civil defence forces who were aided by two military aircrafts. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfiq visited the site and ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the fire. He also directed the building’s structure to be reviewed to determine how it could be repaired. In its initial statement, the general prosecution said it was alerted to the fire at 4:30am local time. The prosecution said it started its investigation by questioning the victims being treated at the Ismailia Medical Complex and Suez Canal Authority Hospital.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 October, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly