In brief
Another fire broke out on Thursday night at the Ramses Exchange in central Cairo, shortly after a larger fire on Monday caused significant disruptions and resulted in fatalities. The latest blaze, although smaller, revives concerns about safety and service continuity at this critical telecommunications hub managed by Telecom Egypt.
The initial fire claimed four lives and left over twenty injured, severely impacting internet connectivity and causing significant delays across the transport and banking sectors, as reported by local news sources. Officials are currently investigating the cause, while the government promises swift restoration measures.The implications of the prior fire were widespread, with connectivity dropping to 40% of normal levels, impacting trading and travel. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly's visit to the site indicates the government's intent to expedite recovery and restore services effectively.As the investigation into both fires continues, the resilience of Egypt’s communication infrastructure faces critical scrutiny from the public and governmental agencies alike. ---A blaze on Thursday at one of Egypt’s main telecommunications hubs was extinguished, days after a larger fire there killed four people and disrupted internet, transport, and banking services.The initial fire broke out on Monday at a telecommunications hub in central Cairo, killing at least four people. The fire on Thursday in central Cairo at a building known as the Ramses Exchange was much smaller than the one on Monday and was quickly extinguished, the media company Al Ahram reported, citing local authorities. There was no official information about the cause of either fire. Egyptian prosecutors said they had launched an investigation. The telecommunications exchange is run by state-owned Telecom Egypt and is one of many handling phone and internet services. Officials said that services had largely been restored, but some Egyptians still complained on Friday of patchy internet connections, especially in the area near the Ramses Exchange. The earlier blaze killed at least four people and injured at least two dozen others, according to the local government. Internet connectivity dropped to about 40 percent of normal levels, according to NetBlocks, a group that tracks internet outages. The fire also disrupted the stock exchange and banking sectors and delayed flights, according to local news reports, with some Egyptians posting photos on social media of air travelers using handwritten boarding passes. Customers were unable to buy train tickets for nearly two days in parts of the country, according to local media. The stock exchange reopened on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited the exchange on Wednesday and said the government would produce a recovery plan to ensure that the building returned to full operation as soon as possible, the Egyptian cabinet said in a statement. The fire on Monday started on a floor that houses equipment run by telecommunications operators, the nation’s Ministry of Communications said in a statement. Despite the presence of fire suppression equipment, the blaze quickly spread to other floors, it said.
