CAIRO (AP) — The Egyptian health ministry says a car crash has killed 19 people and forced the evacuation of the country's main cancer hospital.

The ministry's statement said four cars crashed late Sunday, causing a blast outside the National Cancer Institute in the capital, Cairo.

It said 30 other people were injured and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The cancer treatment facility was evacuated after the crash, which happened near the famed Tahrir Square.

Road accidents are common in Egypt. The country's official statistics agency says 8,000 crashes last year caused more than 3,000 deaths and 12,000 injuries.