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Twelve people were injured after a huge explosion rocked a chemical factory near Cairo Airport, causing a huge fireball that could be seen for miles around.

Residents reported hearing an enormous blast near the airport at around 10.50pm local time on Thursday.

Flights were suspended after the fire created a huge plume of smoke lit orange and red by flames.

An Egyptian military spokesman, Colonel Tamer al-Rifai, said the blast came from a nearby chemical factory and was caused by high temperatures.

Pictures and video on Twitter show billowing smoke rising from an area at the airport in Egypt.

Initial reports on social media suggested a passenger plane caught fire before exploding.

However security sources confirmed said a fuel storage room was involved.

Residents in Heliopolis, Rehab and Nasr city and security sources reported hearing a loud expolsion.

A picture posted by Egyptian journalist Rita Khoury seems to show flames ravaging a building across at least two floors.

One source told Reuters that flights were temporarily suspended while officials investigated the explosion, which could be heard across large parts of the city.

Egypt's civil aviation minister says air movement is unaffected and confirmed two fuel tanks in the vicinity of the airport were involved.

One security source told Reuters an investigation is under way.

At around 11.20pm local time in Cairo, the Egyptian civil defence team on state TV that it had brought the fire under control.