Fire at juvenile detention centre kills 6 children in Egypt

Another 25 were injured in the fire

A fire fighter extinguishes flames at the scene of a fiery train crash at the Egyptian capital Cairo's main railway station on February 27, 2019. AFP

A fire at a juvenile detention centre in north Cairo killed six inmates and injured 25 others, according to Egyptian security officials.

The fire was sparked late on Thursday night in an accident that occured when two minors started to fight each other at one of the facility's wards in the Al Marg district.

An initial investigation showed that a short circuit in a television cable started the fire that quickly spread to a water heater and furniture in the ward.

The state-run newspaper Akhbar el-Yom reported that the children were not able to flee the fire because the ward was locked.

Four fire engines were sent to put out the fire.

Members of the centre's management have been detained by police for questioning, according to the officials.

Safety standards and fire regulations are poorly enforced in Egypt and have been linked to many deaths.

In March, a fire at a garment factory near Cairo killed at least 20 people and injured 24 more.

There were around 52,000 fire incidents in Egypt in 2020, resulting in 199 deaths, compared to more than 50,660 fires in 2019 that killed 252 people, according to the country’s official statistics agency.