A week of turmoil for Egypt's telecommunications infrastructure as two fires severely disrupt vital services, leading to investigations and urgent government responses.
Cairo's Telecommunications Hub Under Siege: Second Fire Erupts in a Week
Cairo's Telecommunications Hub Under Siege: Second Fire Erupts in a Week
A new fire at a key telecom facility in Cairo raises alarm after earlier blaze claimed lives and disrupted services.
A fire broke out at one of Egypt’s main telecommunications hubs on Thursday evening, just days after a catastrophic blaze there killed four people and significantly impacted vital services including internet, transport, and banking. According to state news, the latest fire occurred at the Ramses Exchange in central Cairo, but was fortunately much smaller and was promptly extinguished.
The initial fire occurred on the preceding Monday, leading to the tragic death of at least four individuals and injuring over two dozen others. Following that incident, internet connectivity plummeted to around 40% of normal levels, as reported by NetBlocks, an organization monitoring global internet outages. This led to chaotic scenes, with disruptions felt across stock exchanges and banking operations; flights were delayed, forcing many travelers to resort to handwritten boarding passes for their journeys.
Although most services have reportedly been restored, residents in the vicinity of the Ramses Exchange are still experiencing intermittent internet issues as of Friday. Egyptian authorities, including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, have declared a recovery plan to reactivate the telecommunications hub to its prior state of functionality.
Continuing uncertainty surrounds the cause of both fires, prompting Egyptian prosecutors to open an official investigation into the tragic events. The Ministry of Communications revealed that the initial blaze originated from a floor housing crucial telecommunications equipment, but fire suppression systems failed to contain its swift spread to additional floors.
As authorities work towards restoring full service, the calamities at the telecommunications hub underline the fragile state of critical infrastructure in Egypt, raising concerns over safety protocols and service reliability in the country.
