A fire erupted on Monday inside the Ramses Central Exchange, a key telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, injuring 14 people and causing widespread disruption to internet and phone services across Egypt’s capital and surrounding metropolitan areas.
Emergency services were dispatched shortly after the fire broke out in the morning. According to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Health, all 14 injured individuals were promptly transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Most suffered from smoke inhalation and minor burns. No fatalities have been reported. The blaze sent plumes of thick, dark smoke over the city’s skyline, causing alarm among residents and businesses that rely heavily on the facility for telecommunications infrastructure.
The Ramses Central Exchange is one of Cairo’s primary telecommunication nodes, making the incident particularly disruptive for both individuals and institutions.
Firefighting teams responded rapidly to the emergency and were able to contain the fire after several hours. “The flames have been brought under control, and we are now conducting cooling operations to prevent reignition,” a fire department official told the official MENA news agency.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit, a security source told MENA. The building’s power systems will be examined by forensic experts from the criminal lab to determine the exact cause. There is currently no indication of foul play.
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) issued a brief statement confirming that the fire had caused partial disruptions in both fixed-line and mobile services, as well as internet connectivity, across parts of the Greater Cairo region. Technicians are currently working to assess the damage and gradually restore full service.
“Efforts are underway to reroute communications traffic and restore services as quickly as possible,” said an NTRA spokesperson. No precise timeline has been given for full restoration.
Several neighborhoods across Cairo and Giza reported intermittent service outages, including issues with emergency hotlines and bank networks. Businesses that rely on real-time connectivity, such as call centers and e-commerce platforms, have also been affected.
Photos taken by Xinhua photographer Ismael Gomaa showed smoke pouring from the upper levels of the building while firefighters doused the structure with water. Witnesses in the area described a chaotic scene, with nearby roads cordoned off and ambulances rushing to the scene.
The incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in Egypt’s largest city and the need for improved safety protocols. Authorities say an investigation is ongoing and that updates will be provided as new findings emerge.
As of late Monday evening, cooling operations were still in progress at the site, and civil defense teams remained on high alert.
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