2021 Obour clothing factory fire

2021 Cairo clothing factory fire

Date	11 March 2021
Location	Obour, Egypt
Type	Fire
Deaths	20
Non-fatal injuries	24

On 11 March 2021, a fire occurred at a clothing factory in Obour,^[1] a city in Egypt near Cairo.^[2] It killed at least 20 people and injured another 24.^[3] Fifteen fire trucks were dispatched to extinguish the fire.^[1]

The cause of the fire was likely a chemical explosion involving flammable materials stored in the basement of the building.^[4][5] Enforcement of safety standards and fire regulations in Egypt is notoriously lax, and fires are not uncommon in factories and hospitals.^[1][6][7] 2021 set a record for fires in factories worldwide, with nearly 2,000 confirmed factory fires around the world during the year.^[8]

See also

• List of fires in Egypt

References

1. "Egypt: Garment factory fire kills at least 20". Deutsche Welle. 11 March 2023.
2. "Egypt: At least 20 dead in Cairo clothing factory fire". Al Jazeera English. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
3. "Garment factory fire kills at least 20 in Egypt". Reuters. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
4. "Twenty dead, 24 injured in factory fire outside Cairo". Egypt Independent. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
5. "ارتفاع حصيلة ضحايا حريق بمصنع شمال القاهرة إلى 20 قتيلا" [The death toll from a fire in a factory north of Cairo has risen to 20]. New China News Agency (in Arabic). 12 March 2021.
6. "Fire at garment factory in Egypt kills at least 20 people, officials say". The Globe and Mail. Associated Press. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
7. Al-Khatib, Ahmed (2023-10-02). "حريق مديرية أمن الاسماعيلية: وزارة الداخلية المصرية بصدد التحقيق في الأسباب التي أدت إلى الحريق الهائل" [An advisory committee to investigate the causes of the “burning” of the Ismailia Security Directorate building in Egypt]. BBC News عربي (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-10-15.
8. Kavilanz, Parija (2022-01-28). "A jump in factory fires is dangerous for the people who work there - and the supply chain". CNN. Retrieved 2023-10-15.