At least 20 people have been killed in a fire at a textile factory in Egypt.

Reports say that another 20 have been injured in the blaze on the eastern outskirts of the capital, Cairo.

The cause of the blaze, which ripped through the four-story plant in Obour, was not immediately known, according to a statement released by the government.

Fifteen firefighting vehicles were dispatched to the scene to put down the blaze while ambulances were ferrying the casualties to nearby hospitals, the statement said.

Factory fires, as well as blazes elsewhere, are quite common in Egypt, due to the lax enforcement of industrial and other safety measures.

Last month, a thirteen-story apartment building in Cairo caught fire after a blaze erupted at an unlicensed leather factory that occupied its first three floors.