Many Injured As Fire Breaks Out At Police Headquarters

A significant fire erupted at a police headquarters in the Egyptian city of Ismailia on Monday, resulting in injuries to at least 38 individuals before being extinguished, as reported by the health ministry.

Although no immediate fatalities were reported, the building was fully occupied by police personnel when the fire began in the early hours.

By the time initial rescue services arrived, the flames had consumed the entire structure of the Ismailia Security Directorate.

The multi-storey building was engulfed in thick smoke, obscuring it from view until the fire was brought under control.

At daybreak, only a charred shell of the headquarters remained, and emergency services conducted cooling measures to prevent any potential reignition.

On social media, videos circulated showing individuals trapped inside, seeking assistance from the windows.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and security forces have cordoned off the area. AFP correspondents observed rescuers working to evacuate those trapped inside, with the aid of a crane.

Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfik ordered an inquiry into the fire’s origins, along with a “structural safety review” for the building, according to a statement from his ministry.

Authorities have not released information on the number of police officers and detainees present in the building overnight.

Emergency medical services reported that of the 26 injured individuals transported to a local hospital, 24 suffered from “asphyxiation,” while two sustained burns. An additional twelve individuals received treatment at the scene.

The health ministry dispatched 50 ambulances to the scene, and they were joined by military emergency services, including two aircraft, according to local media.

Deadly fires are a common peril in Egypt, where fire safety regulations are rarely enforced, and response times of emergency services can be slow.

In August 2022, an electrical short circuit-induced fire claimed the lives of 41 worshippers in a Cairo church, prompting calls for enhancements in the country’s infrastructure and the fire brigade’s response time. Most victims perished while attempting to escape the building, while others jumped from windows to flee the flames, as firefighters took over an hour to arrive.

The tragedy was attributed to the dilapidated state of the church’s building and the maze of narrow streets in the neighborhood, which hindered the arrival of firefighters.

Monday’s incident occurred in one of the many new police headquarters constructed or refurbished across the country in the past decade. In March 2021, at least 20 people perished in a fire at a textile factory in the capital, while in 2020, two hospital fires resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals.