A fire broke out in an intensive care unit of an Egyptian hospital Wednesday, leaving at least two patients dead, an official said.
The fire erupted overnight at a government-run hospital in the Nile Delta city of Kafr al-Sheikh, said Ahmed al-Samahi, a spokesman for the Kafr al-Sheikh province.
The hospital is treating those suffering from respiratory diseases. It was unclear if coronavirus patients were present in the ward, The Associated Press reported.
He said there were 16 patients in the unit when the fire broke out at 2:30 a.m. local time. He said the two dead had been in critical condition.
Firefighters were able to put out the blaze, which was caused by an electric short-circuit, al-Samahi said.
A fire in December in an intensive care unit at a private hospital in Obour also killed seven coronavirus patients.
Another fire in June last year in a private hospital in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria killed seven patients and injured one.
