The official spokesperson for the health ministry Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said 24 cases of suffocation and two burn cases were reported so far. A total of 50 ambulances were dispatched to the scene to transport victims to the hospital, he added.

Seven people have been discharged so far after receiving medical treatment, the minister said.

The flames were contained after multiple fire engines rushed to the scene, the report said. Authorities said they removed all highly flammable materials, ammunition, and weapons from the building as a precautionary measure.

People, including prisoners inside the building, were evacuated from the building immediately after the fire broke out, reports said.

A state of emergency has been declared in all the hospitals in the Suez Canal city to attend to the injured, sources told Al Arabiya English and Al Hadath.

Egypt’s Minister of Interior Major General Mahmoud Tawfiq said he was following up on the efforts of the firefighting operations and checking on the status of the individuals and officers who were in the facility at the time of the fire.

An investigation has been launched to find out the cause behind the fire and how it spread so quickly, Al Arabiya reported.

Source: Al Arabiya