Explosion hits fuel tanks room near Cairo airport

Egypt's civil aviation minister said on Thursday that an explosion hit two fuel tanks outside the perimeter of Cairo's airport, but air traffic was not affected.

A security source had said earlier that air movement was temporarily halted after the blast, which was heard across parts of the Egyptian capital.

The blast was followed by a fire, according to Egyptian state television, which reported that firefighters had brought the blaze under control. It said the tanks outside the airport perimeter belonged to a private company, which was not identified.

Regional television stations showed ambulances racing towards the scene.

There has been no official announcement on the cause of the explosion