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16 wounded in fire at Cairo conference center

Xinhua, March 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 16 people were injured on Wednesday when a massive fire broke out at a main conference center in Egypt's capital Cairo, the Ministry of Health reported.

Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the wounded, suffering suffocation and fractions, were being treated at the scene or have been transported to hospital.

The cause of the fire wasn't immediately clear. As many as 20 fire engines have been sent to the scene and firefighters managed to extinguish 90 percent of the blaze, official news agency MENA quoted Interior Ministry sources.

Three halls of Cairo International Conference Center, located in Nasr City, a northeastern district of the capital, were set ablaze. State TV footage showed dark plumes of smoke covered the nearby buildings.

The fire reached the center's main hall, which regularly hosts conferences, exhibitions and concerts. Endit