CAIRO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Authorities are battling to put out a fire in an Oriental Weavers <ORWE.CA> factory northeast of Cairo that has injured about 56 people, security sources said on Tuesday.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, the source added.

Four military helicopters and 12 cars from the oil ministry were called in to help fight the fire, state news agency MENA said.

The fire is believed to have started in a storage area of the factory filled with carpets earmarked for export, MENA said.

MENA said winds fanned the flames and workers in nearby factories began hosing down walls with water to prevent the fire from spreading to their factories.

Police chopped down trees around the factory and cut off electrical and gas supplies to the area, according to MENA.

The governor of Sharkia province where the factory is located said he had contacted the ministry of oil to request supplies of a chemical fire extinguishing foam as a precaution, and said the fire had been contained in the storage area and was still being fought, MENA said.

The company is a major manufacturer of machine-woven carpets and rugs. MENA said estimated losses from the fire were around 20 million Egyptian pounds ($3.6 million).

In October a fire damaged the same factory in Tenth of Ramadan City and 18 people were treated for smoke inhalation, but the company said its losses were covered by insurance.

Shares in the company closed 1.6 percent down at 49.35 pounds ($8.89) per share. (Writing by Aziz El-Kaissouni)

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