A massive fire that broke out at a police headquarters in the Egyptian city of Ismailia has left 38 people nursing injuries.
No fatalities were immediately reported, but the facility is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and hospitals have been placed on notice.
Local media showed smoke coming from the completely burned multi-story skyscraper.
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The cause of the fire, which broke out before dawn inside the headquarters of the Ismailia Security Directorate, is unknown.
According to local media citing the health ministry, 24 of the 26 injured brought to a local hospital had suffered "asphyxiation" and two from burns.
According to state media, the health ministry dispatched 50 ambulances to the location, which were joined by military emergency services, including two planes.
In Egypt, where fire codes are rarely followed, and emergency services are frequently delayed, deadly fires are a prevalent concern.
A fire triggered by a short circuit in a Cairo church in August 2022 killed 41 worshippers, sparking calls to improve the country's infrastructure and fire department response time.
A fire at a textile mill in the city killed at least 20 people in March 2021, while two hospital fires killed 14 people in 2020.
