Fire at Cairo data hub injures 14, causes internet, telecom outages
The injured were immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement.
The official MENA news agency reported that firefighters have successfully contained the fire in the Ramses Central Exchange building, adding that cooling operations are currently underway to ensure the fire will not reignite.
A security source told MENA that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit, noting that criminal lab experts will collect evidence from the scene to determine the exact cause.
Meanwhile, Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said that work is underway to assess the extent of the damage and gradually restore service.
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The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Blaze at Cairo telecommunications building disrupts communications, injures 22
A firefighter tries to put off a fire that broke out in a telecommunications building, which led to communications disruptions across the Egyptian capital, including people being unable to make phone calls, according to local media, in Cairo, Egypt, July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany CAIRO (Reuters) -At least 22 people were injured after a fire broke out on Monday in a key telecoms data centre in Cairo, the spokesperson of Egypt's health ministry told Reuters, as disruptions of communications across the capital were recorded. A state TV reporter said it had been contained. People were unable to make phone calls, and a major internet disruption was registered after the fire erupted in the building in central Cairo, with internet monitoring group Netblocks saying network data showed national connectivity at 62% of ordinary levels. The health ministry also posted alternative numbers for ambulance services across different governorates in case people were unable to reach its main hotline. Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions, a bank source and residents said. Banks had already been closed for the day. The injuries were mostly because of smoke inhalation, health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said. "A fire broke out this evening in one of the equipment rooms at the Ramses switchboard of the Telecom Egypt company, which led to a temporary disruption of telecommunications services," the National Telecom Regulatory Authority said in a statement. It said services would be restored over the next few hours, after power to the whole building was cut off as a safety measure. A plume of smoke could be seen above the Ramses district. The state news agency MENA said the fire had been prevented from spreading to the entire building and neighbouring rooftops. An initial examination indicated that the fire was likely to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, MENA cited a security source as saying. (Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Momen Saeed Atallah in Cairo, Jana Choukeir in Dubai; Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Barbara Lewis, Kevin Liffey, Bill Berkrot and Marguerita Choy)
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Fire erupts at major telecom hub in central Cairo
CAIRO: A major fire erupted at a key telecommunications hub in the Egyptian capital on Monday, the Cairo governorate said in a statement, causing significant phone and internet disruption. The health ministry said in a statement that 14 people had been injured in the fire. The blaze began on the seventh floor of the historic 10-storey telephone exchange in downtown Cairo, where an AFP journalist saw thick black smoke billowing from the area. Videos shared widely on social media showed smoke pouring from the upper floors of the building, visible from several kilometres away. Fire crews were dispatched to the scene and Egyptian state television said that the fire has been contained. According to Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, the fire caused power outages in the area. State-run newspaper Al-Ahram also reported the blaze disrupted phone and internet services across the capital. In a separate statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the outage in telecommunications and internet networks caused limited delays in some flights at Cairo airport. The Ramses exchange, a vital telecommunications hub, plays a central role in Egypt's internet and telephone infrastructure.
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Fire at Cairo data hub injures 14, causes internet, telecom outages
CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out on Monday inside a telecommunication building in the Egyptian capital Cairo, injuring 14 people, causing a partial disruption of telecommunication and internet services in the Greater Cairo metropolitan area. The injured were immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement. The official MENA news agency reported that firefighters have successfully contained the fire in the Ramses Central Exchange building, adding that cooling operations are currently underway to ensure the fire will not reignite. A security source told MENA that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit, noting that criminal lab experts will collect evidence from the scene to determine the exact cause. Meanwhile, Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said that work is underway to assess the extent of the damage and gradually restore service.
