On Monday, a catastrophic fire broke out at one of the primary data centers that Telecom Egypt uses to route internet traffic in and through Cairo. The catastrophe eventually resulted in 4 dead workers and at least 22 more injured. The fire not only destroyed newsprint, it disrupted communications services across the city. In addition, it stopped critical emergency dispatch phone calls and reduced internet speeds for hundreds of thousands of residents.
The resulting fire, which started in the afternoon at the Telecom Egypt center, spread quickly. This facility quickly became the critical hub for data, communication, and collaborative services delivered in the region. Authorities’ preliminary investigations have found that an electrical short circuit most likely ignited the fire. This ignition allowed the fire to spread quickly, quickly outpacing the building’s defenses.
Emergency services were quick to respond and contained the fire in a few hours. The impact was widespread and expensive. Sudden drop in internet connectivity. Emergency reports indicated that the national internet connectivity fell to at least 62% of pre-fire rates due to the incident.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for Egypt’s Health Ministry, gave further explanation about the casualties. He reiterated that the majority of injuries were due to smoke inhalation. This goes to show how conditions produced by this fire were extremely hazardous.
Telecom Egypt is shocked and saddened by the tragedy and the loss of its employees. As a company we remain adamantly pro-family, and extend hearts and hands to them in support through this dark time. The company expressed its regret for the severity of the tragedy and pledged to respond to the fallout from the event.
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, assured the public that efforts are underway to restore services gradually within 24 hours. His remarks were intended to calm the public. This was particularly key in light of the outcry over communication failures, especially since the banks were closed for the day due to safety procedures stemming from the event.
According to the new MENA’s security source, the cause of this tragic event was an electrical short circuit. This emphasizes the critical importance of sustained independent investigations to stave off abuses like these in the future.
