Firefighters cool down the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2025. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday.
The injured were transferred to nearby hospitals, while several others were treated on site for smoke inhalation, the ministry said in a statement.
The blaze, which erupted Monday afternoon in a key telecommunications facility affiliated with Telecom Egypt in Cairo's Ramses area, caused temporary disruptions to phone and internet services across parts of the capital and other regions.
Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat said in a statement on Tuesday that services will be gradually restored within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that full flight operations had resumed at Cairo International Airport after overnight delays caused by communication disruptions.
"All affected flights have taken off and operations at all terminals at Cairo airport have returned to normal," the ministry said in a statement.
A security source told the official MENA news agency 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. ■
A firefighter cools down the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2025. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
Firefighters cool down the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2025. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
This photo taken on July 8, 2025 shows the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A firefighter cools down the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2025. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
A firefighter cools down the central telecommunications building after a fire in Cairo, Egypt, on July 8, 2025. At least four people were killed and 27 others injured in a massive fire that broke out Monday at a central telecommunications building in downtown Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)