A fire at a Telecom Egypt data-centre in Cairo has left four employees dead and at least 22 injured, Egypt’s health-ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said on Tuesday.
The blaze, which erupted on Monday and was contained the same day, knocked out fixed-line calls, slowed internet traffic to about 62 percent of normal levels and disrupted digital banking services across the capital, according to network-monitor NetBlocks and local banks.
Communications Minister Amr Talaat said service would “return progressively within 24 hours.” Telecom Egypt, the country’s dominant operator, offered condolences and pledged support to the victims’ families.
Most injuries resulted from smoke inhalation, the health ministry said. State news agency MENA reported that firefighters stopped the flames from engulfing the entire building and nearby rooftops; an initial probe points to an electrical short-circuit as the likely cause.
Ambulance hotlines were rerouted, and residents reported trouble with credit-card payments, ATMs and online transactions. Banks had already closed for the day when the outage struck.