UPDATE 2 - Fire kills 20 at Cairo’s main train station

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, ADDS DETAILS

CAIRO (AA) – At least 20 people were killed in a fire that erupted at Cairo’s main train station on Wednesday, according to the state-run television.

Photos on social media showed a cloud of smoking rising from the Ramses train station in central Cairo.

Local media said the fire was caused by a gas tanker explosion after a train collided with a safety barrier as a large number of passengers were waiting to pick up their train.

The explosion caused a huge fire, according to the same sources.

The Egyptian television said 20 people were killed and 40 others injured in the accident.

Egypt’s National Railway Authority, for its part, confirmed the accident, saying several people were killed and injured but without giving an exact toll.

In a statement, the authority said the fire broke out after a train derailed and collided with a concrete barrier at the station, without giving further details.