An explosion near a medical centre in Cairo has killed 20 people and injured 47 others, Egyptian Health Ministry said on Monday.
The explosion outside the National Cancer Institute took place late Sunday after a collision involving multiple cars in the southern district of al-Manyal, the ministry said in a statement.
The blast also caused a major blaze that was extinguished, state media reported.
The ministry spokesman, Khaled Megahed, said 47 people were injured, after earlier statements put the number at 30.
He said most of them are in a stable condition, except three who remain in intensive care.
Megahed was quoted by the al-Ahram newspaper as saying that at least four bodies remain unidentified.
Patients were evacuated from the oncology centre to other hospitals in Cairo shortly after the accident.
But the centre had resumed receiving patients by Monday afternoon, state television reported.
The explosion rocked the broader area near the Nile River and shattered glass windows at the medical centre, witnesses said.
The centre is frequented by people from across Egypt who are seeking treatment.
Online footage showed several cars engulfed in flames as a result of the blast.
Cairo University, with which the centre is affiliated, denied claims that the explosion had taken place inside the site or that the blaze had spread to the centre.
“All the patients and workers at the centre are well,’’ the state-run university said.
The country’s top prosecutor ordered an investigation into the cause of the incident. (dpa/NAN)
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