Major General Magdy al-Shalaqany, head of the civil protection department, said 20 fire engines were sent to control the huge fire that broke out Saturday at several stores of Souq al-Gomaa (Friday Market), located in Sayyeda Aisha district.
Speaking to the official MENA news agency, Shalaqany said firefighters are still working on extinguishing the fire.
Store owners usually store enormous amounts of merchandise in an unsafe way, which makes it hard for firefighters to control the fire, he added.
The department was notified earlier about the fire and firefighters rushed to the scene.
A security source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that no casualties were reported, however, major losses were suffered at the market.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm and MENA
