More than a dozen helicopters and fire trucks had to be called as fire ravaged a 19th century palace housing the upper chamber of Egypt's parliament Tuesday, injuring at least 10 people. Firefighters appeared to be struggling in efforts to put out the flames: A dozen fire trucks rushed to the scene, but only three were actively spraying hoses hours after the fire erupted, apparently due to water shortages. There was no official word on the cause. Evacuated employees said authorities told them they had ruled out terrorism, and that an electrical short-circuit had likely sparked the fire. The fire, the cause of which was unclear, started at around 1430 GMT and spread from the second to the third floor. firefighters doused surrounding buildings with water to prevent them from igniting, but flames continued to rage past midnight. The parliament's archive room, library and several large meeting chambers were all destroyed. Flames soared upward from the top floor of the three-story building, and much of the interior appeared gutted. While firefighters focused on one corner of the building, the blaze burned unabated on the other side, spreading to the second floor with periodic explosions and showers of sparks. Security officials and medics said 10 people, mostly firefighters, suffered from smoke inhalation. Nile News quoted an unnamed security source saying 13 people were injured. The fire broke out on the top floor and later spread to the rest of the building, officials said. Hundreds of tourists and local people gathered near the building to take photographs. Riot police created a cordon outside the parliament complex, located on a busy downtown thoroughfare. All roads in the area were closed off, allowing access only to emergency services and authorities. The area is usually under tight security as it is close to the American University in Cairo and not far from several Western embassies. "The problem is that the building is built of wood, and this helped the fire to spread. Everyone is working to bring the situation under control," Shura Council speaker Safwat al-Sherif told state TV. Parliament speaker Fathi Surur said that copies existed for any documents or files that may have been burnt in the fire.
