EGYPT – At least 8 people died and 35 others sustained injuries after a clothing factory fire in Egypt’s Gharbia province on Friday.

The Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement that upon receiving the alert, it immediately dispatched 26 fully equipped ambulances to the site of the blaze, which erupted in the Yamani area of the El-Mahalla El-Kubra district in the morning.

The ministry added that ambulance teams transferred 35 injured individuals to the public Mahalla General Hospital, where they are receiving necessary medical care.

The ministry said that civil defense forces continue rescue operations and debris removal in search of injured or dead, while full coordination with all concerned authorities is ongoing to ensure public safety.