Fire at Egyptian hospital kills 7 Covid patients

An intensive care unit at an Egyptian hospital caught fire on Saturday, killing seven coronavirus patients, officials said.

Local police said the blaze erupted at a private hospital in Obour, an outlying district of the greater Cairo area.

The fire injured at least five others. The injured and other patients were evacuated to nearby hospitals, the police said.

Firefighters were able to put out the blaze, the cause of which police and prosecutors are investigating.

The state-run al-Ahram daily reported that an initial investigation blamed an electric short-circuit for the fire.