CAIRO: Helicopters and fire trucks had to be called to the Egyptian senate on Tuesday when a blaze threatened to engulf the building and left 13 people requiring emergency medical help after they inhaled smoke.

The fire, the cause of which was unclear, started at around 1430 GMT and had largely been extinguished some four hours later thanks to the frantic efforts of army helicopters and dozens of fire engines, a security official said.

As a huge black cloud arose above the building, which is located in central Cairo, helicopters carrying water and firemen doused the flames to try and prevent them spreading to the surrounding ministries and government buildings.

While the hemisphere of the Majlis al-Shura or senate itself was spared, the fire spread quickly from the second to the third floor of the building, causing severe damage to a parliamentary archive before being brought under control.

Despite the huge flames and the dramatic dark cloud that hung over the centre of the Egyptian capital, there were only light human casualties.

"Four emergency service staff were taken to a nearby hospital after suffering smoke-related injuries, and nine people who were in the building also suffered from smoke inhalation," health ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahine told state television.

Both houses of parliament were said to be on summer recess, which meant few people would have been in the building at the time of the fire.

"The problem is that the building is built of wood, and this helped the fire to spread. Everyone is working to bring the situation under control," Shura Council speaker Safwat al-Sherif told state TV.

Parliament speaker Fathi Surur said the cause of the blaze remained unclear.

"We still don't know what caused the fire. The technical teams will have to come and survey that," he told the television.

He said that copies existed for any documents or files that may have been burnt in the fire.

All roads in the area were closed off, allowing access only to emergency services and authorities.

The area is usually under tight security as it is close to the American University in Cairo and not far from several Western embassies.

The Shura Council is made up of 264 members, of whom 176 are directly elected and 88 appointed by the president. Half of the council's members are renewed every three years.

- AFP/yb