At least 25 people were killed and 24 others were injured today in a major fire at a three-storey furniture factory on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital.
The fire swept through the factory and its warehouse after a gas cylinder exploded, security officials said.
Twenty four others were injured in the fire, ministry official Mohamed Lashin was quoted as saying by the Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
Lashin said some of the badly injured died before ambulances could reach hospitals.
Meanwhile, at least 11 people were injured in another fire accident at a large supermarket in Alexandria, a medical official said.
The accident took place hours after first fire accident, officials said. Seventeen of the injured people were given medical assistance and were discharged, they added.
Fire accidents are common in Egypt, given the dilapidated condition of buildings and failure to adhere to safety norms.
In September 2014, six people had died when a textile dyeing factory collapsed in Cairo in an accident blamed on poor construction.
