A strong explosion at a chemical factory near Cairo airport, has left twelve people injured, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported on Thursday.

The blast, which sent a dozen of people to the hospital, was reported as “fierce and loud” by close-by witnesses who were around or near the sight. The direct aftermath of flames and smoke was caught and instantly shared on social media.

Firefighters and emergency vehicles were rushed to the scene, and though the numbers of injuries was officially reported, the severity of their conditions is not clear yet.

An Egyptian Army official, Tamer Refai, posted on Twitter that the cause of explosion was due a major "increase in temperature" at a fuel storage facility in an area controlled by the army.
The Department of Civil Aviation confirmed that the airport was not targeted. The Egyptian Aviation Minister, Younis al-Masri, stressed that flights’ scheduling at the airport has not been affected.