Four workers were killed and at least 27 others injured after a fire broke out on Monday, 7 July, at a major Telecom Egypt data center in central Cairo, disrupting phone and internet services across the country, according to Health Ministry in a statement.
On Tuesday 8 July, services continued to be disrupted with many Egyptians struggling to access the internet, use banking and digital financial services and make calls. The Egyptian Ministry of Telecommunications said on Tuesday morning that services would gradually resume within 24 hours.
Most of the injuries were caused by smoke inhalation, Ghaffar said. According to Egypt’s state-run news agency MENA, the fire was prevented from spreading to the entire building and nearby rooftops.
A security source cited by MENA said an initial examination suggested the cause was likely an electrical short circuit. The blaze erupted on the seventh floor of the Ramses Central building in downtown Cairo, a key hub for telecommunications infrastructure.
Telecom Egypt confirmed that the fire caused damage to equipment, leading to widespread outages. Services are being gradually restored, with officials saying key systems, including emergency hotlines and government services, are back online in most governorates.
The company expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and stated that compensation and support would be provided.
According to global internet observatory NetBlocks, Egypt’s national internet connectivity dropped to 62 percent of typical levels during the outage and later fell further to just 44 percent, affecting services including banking, mobile payments, and online trade.
The Ministry of Communications said telecom services are being rerouted to alternative exchanges. While the facility remains out of service, authorities expect services to continue returning to normal within days.
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