Cairo, Jul 29 (IANS/EFE): At least 23 people died and 22 others were injured after a fire broke out at furniture factory in Egypt, a media report said.
The incident took place in El-Obour City in Qaliubiya province on Tuesday.
The Egyptian interior ministry confirmed in a statement the number of dead and injured people, noting that the fire was extinguished with the help of 23 firefighting vehicles.
"The death toll is preliminary and may increase in the coming hours," health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told EFE.
"The factory workers were trapped inside the factory by the fire, which spread quickly due to highly flammable materials used in the production of furniture," an official said.
State-run Al-Ahram newspaper quoted security officials revealing that the fire was triggered by an ignited natural gas cylinder.