Fire in Cairo telecom hub injures 22, disrupts services nationwide

A major fire at a Telecom Egypt building in downtown Cairo injured 22 people and caused widespread disruptions to internet, phone, transportation, and emergency services across the country.

At least 22 people sustained injuries on Monday following a fire that erupted at a major telecommunications hub in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The incident caused partial disruptions to the country’s communications and internet networks.

According to Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the initial number of casualties reported in the Ramses Central office fire rose from 14 to 22. The injured were transported to Katameya, Al-Mounira, and Al-Demerdash hospitals. Most of the cases involved suffocation and first-degree superficial burns, with all victims reported to be in stable condition.

Teams from the General Directorate of Civil Protection began cooling operations inside the affected building after successfully extinguishing the flames, in an effort to prevent any potential flare-ups, as reported by the Egyptian News Agency.

The state-owned Telecom Egypt Company issued a statement confirming that it had promptly responded to the fire in close coordination with civil protection forces. As a safety measure and to prevent further spread of the fire, electricity supply to the entire building was disconnected during the firefighting operations, which in turn led to temporary disruptions in certain telecommunications services.

The company assured the public that all impacted services would be evaluated upon completion of firefighting activities, with plans to compensate affected customers. It added that technical teams were actively working to restore all services in the shortest time possible.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Media Production City clarified that the fire neither affected nor will affect satellite broadcasting of live programs and talk shows across television channels operating within the complex. The disruption, it said, was limited to internet, landline, and mobile phone connections, which temporarily hindered producers’ ability to communicate effectively with guests and sources.

The Egyptian National Railways Authority issued an apology to the public for the irregularities experienced in the nationwide ticket booking system, attributing the disruption to an unexpected internet outage caused by the telecommunications fire.

Additionally, the Giza Governorate in western Cairo announced a technical failure in the emergency ambulance hotline due to the incident and urged citizens to use alternative numbers for ambulance support until normal service resumes.

The Civil Aviation Ministry also reported that the fire led to a sudden and temporary failure in communications and internet services, resulting in limited delays for some departing flights. It noted that an emergency plan was activated immediately to ensure continued operations, with coordinated efforts allowing all scheduled flights to depart without cancellations. Most flights were rerouted through alternative communication channels, with only a small number of international flights under coordination to implement backup procedures.