190805 cairo blast
People extinguish a fire from a blast outside the National Cancer Institute, Cairo. Image Credit: Reuters

Cairo: A car, which caused a fatal pile-up outside a hospital in Cairo late Sunday, carried explosives that a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate planned to use in a terrorist attack, Egyptian security authorities said on Monday.

At least 20 people were killed and 47 others injured after a car travelling on the wrong side of the road crashed into three others causing a huge explosion outside the National Cancer Institute in central Cairo.

The Interior Ministry said Monday investigations revealed that the car was stolen months ago from the governorate of Menuifa, north of Cairo and it had explosives that went off as a result of the crash on Sunday.

Blast aftermath
Cairo blast aftermath. The Egyptian government blamed Hassm, a militant group linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, for planning to use the vehicle in a terrorist attack. Image Credit: Twitter

The ministry blamed Hassm, a militant group linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, for planning to use the vehicle in a terrorist attack.

The ministry said it is collecting further information to identify the terrorists involved and bring them to justice.

Hassm has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Cairo since the army’s mid-2013 overthrow of president Mohammad Mursi, a senior Brotherhood official, following mass street protests against his rule.