Survivors in southern Egypt say a candle fell over on a stage set late Monday, sparking a fire in a crowded theater that killed at least 31 people and injured about 30 others.
Witnesses say the fire in the city of Beni Suef spread quickly across the stage, triggering a stampede of spectators trying to exit the burning building.
Authorities say the one-storey theater building - attached to a state-run culture center - burned to the ground within an hour.
The fire is the worst in Egypt since a blaze aboard a crowded train near Cairo killed more than 350 people in 2002.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.