A number of fires have broken out over the past several days in Egypt’s capital city and the southern town of Minya, leaving dozens injured and at least three dead, according to several media outlets. Shortly after midnight on Monday, the first fire started at the six-story Hotel Andalusia, situated in the densely-populated Attaba area of downtown Cairo. The fire then spread to adjacent buildings as well as the well-known Al-Rewaiey market, a commercial area regularly visited by Cairenes. According to a spokesperson from the Ambulance Authority, at least three people died in the fire and the dozens of injured were transferred to nearby hospitals, state-run NileTV reported. “The whole area caught on fire, including buildings and our stores,” AFP quoted Ahmed Gamal, one of the street vendors, as saying. “Everything became a mess.” The preliminary investigation suggests that the reason for the outbreak of the fire was an electrical short circuit, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Abu Bakr Abdel-Karim said in media statements. However, some vendors who spoke to Ahram Online said that they believe the fire was not an accident and that it may have been an arson attack….
Cairo Government Building Catches Fire as Several Fires Break Out Around Egypt
May 12, 2016
