Egypt Daily News – Authorities in Egypt continue to work intensively to restore telecommunications and internet services after a massive fire severely damaged the Ramses Central Office in Cairo’s Azbakeya district. The fire, which broke out in the early hours and raged for more than 20 hours, gutted key parts of the 11-story main building and an adjacent six-story structure used for international communications.
Cairo Governor Dr. Ibrahim Saber visited the scene following the containment of the blaze by civil defense units and the completion of extensive cooling operations. During his inspection, he reviewed damage to infrastructure and ongoing repair efforts, highlighting the urgency of restoring services within hours.
The fire prompted a swift emergency response by firefighting teams, who succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading to nearby residential and commercial properties. As a precaution, Ramses Street was temporarily closed but has since reopened to traffic after being deemed safe by traffic police.
In parallel, the public prosecution launched a formal investigation into the incident. The Chief Prosecutor of North Cairo, accompanied by a team of investigators, conducted an external examination of the site, confirming the origin of the fire within the central office buildings. Additional teams were dispatched to area hospitals to collect statements from the injured.
To date, 21 people have been reported injured, and four fatalities have been confirmed. Forensic experts have conducted preliminary examinations and collected DNA samples to identify the deceased and determine causes of death.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Amr Talaat confirmed that the Ramses Central Office remains out of service pending the completion of cooling operations and a full safety inspection. He emphasized the strategic role of the facility within Egypt’s information infrastructure, describing it as one of the country’s most critical telecom hubs.
In the wake of the fire, telecom authorities successfully rerouted both voice and data traffic through alternative central offices. Talaat stated that services across all major operators are stabilizing, with most voice and internet services restored. Banking operations, which had experienced service interruptions, have largely resumed, and full restoration is expected by Wednesday morning.
Regarding the Egyptian stock exchange, the minister clarified that trading systems were unaffected by the fire, but trading was voluntarily suspended as a precaution to maintain fairness and access for all market participants.
A key challenge that remains is restoring connectivity in the immediate vicinity of the Ramses Central Office. Many nearby homes and businesses are still facing disruptions. Emergency teams have been working since Monday to transfer these users to an adjacent central office. Talaat expressed confidence that this relocation process would be completed soon.
Despite the scale of the disaster, officials emphasized that the country’s telecom infrastructure has demonstrated strong resilience. The rapid recovery of core services underscores the effectiveness of contingency measures and the coordinated response of civil and technical teams across the public and private sectors. The investigation into the fire’s causes and the adequacy of safety protocols is ongoing.
