Cairo: One person was killed on Saturday in a powerful explosion in front of the Italian consulate in this Egyptian capital, an official said.

According to Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, one person had died and four were injured, Al Ahram reported.

A security officer said the blast was set off by a car bomb. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion.

The bomb was placed outside the consulate. It destroyed the entrance and its facade, the report added.

The consulate complex in downtown Cairo includes a cultural centre and a social club.