Fire in police HQ in Egypt's Ismailia leaves at least 38 injured

At least 38 people were injured in a massive fire that broke out on Monday at the headquarters of the Security Directorate in the Egyptian city of Ismailia. The Minister of Interior has ordered an investigation into the causes of the incident. 

The fire erupted at the directorate's headquarters before dawn and consumed most of the building before being extinguished in the early morning hours. 

Images circulated online showed massive flames engulfing the layers of the building, which is one of the largest in the city located on the western bank of the Suez Canal. 

Firefighting teams worked until morning to extinguish the flames in some areas of the building before gaining full control. 

The fire turned the facade of the building black, according to a photographer from the Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

All hospitals were put on alert to receive potential victims, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health. 

No fatalities have been reported due to the fire, as security forces are typically present in this building at all hours of the day and night. 

According to the Ministry of Health statement, "ambulance services provided assistance to 12 injured individuals who left the scene, while 26 cases were transported to the Ismailia Medical Complex, including 24 cases of suffocation and two burn cases." 

The ministry dispatched 50 ambulance vehicles to the scene, while two military planes headed to Ismailia to participate in rescue and relief operations. 

Videos circulating on social media platforms showed that the fire initially broke out in the upper floors of the directorate's eight-story headquarters. Calls for help could be heard from inside while rescue and firefighting operations had not yet commenced. 

Another video showed an individual attempting to escape by descending from a high floor on the outer wall of the building, while the voice of someone gathered at the exterior gate of the Security Directorate was heard saying, "He fell... oh God... he fell." 

AFP could not independently verify the authenticity of these tapes. 

AFP