A fire broke out at Telecom Egypt's data centre in Cairo, leading to four deaths and 22 injuries.
Information about the Fire and Victims
The fire erupted in a 10-story building of Telecom Egypt. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat reported that the fire resulted in the deaths of four employees. A total of 22 individuals were injured due to smoke inhalation, according to health ministry spokesperson Ghaffar. Some of these individuals received onsite treatment and did not require hospitalization.
Consequences for Communication and Transport
The fire had a significant impact on communication in Cairo. Data from the internet monitoring group Netblocks indicated that the national connectivity level in Egypt fell to 62% of the regular level. The outage was associated with halted phone calls and disrupted internet access. Several banking services, including credit cards, ATMs, and online transactions, were also affected. The Egyptian Stock Exchange suspended trading due to disruptions impacting the trading system.
Measures for Communication Recovery
Minister Amr Talaat stated that all communication services would be gradually restored within 24 hours. Operations were transferred to multiple other switchboards to ensure an alternative network's functionality. The civil aviation ministry also confirmed that all delayed flights have now taken off.
The fire at the Telecom Egypt data centre resulted in human casualties and widespread communication disruptions. Authorities are working on restoring services and ensuring safety.
