Egyptian Health Ministry says furniture factory fire kills 19 people, injures 22 east of Cairo

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a furniture factory in al-Obour, east of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Egypt's Health Ministry said a deadly fire occurred at the furniture factory east of Cairo. Egyptian state-run media said the factory had not obtained a government safety certification. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad) (The Associated Press)

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Medics stand by as firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a furniture factory in al-Obour, east of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Egypt's Health Ministry said a deadly fire occurred at the furniture factory east of Cairo. Egyptian state-run media said the factory had not obtained a government safety certification. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad) (The Associated Press)

Factory workers watch firefighters trying to extinguish the fire at their furniture factory in al-Obour, east of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Egypt's Health Ministry said a deadly fire occurred at the furniture factory east of Cairo. Egyptian state-run media said the factory had not obtained a government safety certification. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad) (The Associated Press)

CAIRO – Egypt's Health Ministry says a fire at a furniture factory east of Cairo has killed 19 people and injured 22.

It was not immediately clear what started the fire Tuesday in the city of al-Obour.

Egyptian state-run media said the factory had not obtained a government safety certification. Local media reported that firefighters had gained control of the blaze Tuesday afternoon by using some 20 fire trucks.

Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said in a statement that the injured and dead were transported to local hospitals.

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