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Update: 40 wounded in fire at Cairo conference center

Xinhua, March 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 40 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 said in a statement.

"Thirty of the injured have been treated on the spot by ambulance and medical teams that rushed to the scene, while the other ten were taken to nearby hospitals," the statement pointed out.

The ministry sent 35 ambulances to the scene to treat the injured and convened a crisis-management, while some 20 firefighting vehicles managed to put the fire out.

Health Ministry's Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar pointed out earlier on Wednesday that most of the wounded suffered suffocation and fractions.

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.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab visited the center and inspected the damages and he was assured by the center's officials that only one of the three halls was greatly damaged while the other two were not greatly affected, noting that the exhibition yard was also fine and that it would recieve some exhibitions on Thursday.

Mahlab said that the government is waiting for the forensic report and the investigation results to find out the reasons behind the fire and to start repairing the damaged parts immediately. Endit