Egypt Faces Telecommunications Crisis After Double Fires at Ramses Exchange

This week, Egypt endured a crisis at its telecommunications center as two fires broke out at the Ramses Exchange in Cairo. The first, which occurred on Monday, tragically took the lives of four individuals and disrupted critical services, stirring significant public concern about safety and infrastructure maintenance. A smaller subsequent fire on Thursday was quickly contained, as local authorities rushed to address the growing crisis.

The building, operated by state-owned Telecom Egypt, serves as a pivotal node for the nation's phone and internet network. According to reports from Al Ahram, while services have been largely restored, many users continue to experience unreliable internet connections, particularly around the exchange.

The catastrophic incident on Monday resulted in a significant drop in internet connectivity, down to merely 40% of normal rates, as per NetBlocks data. The ramifications extended beyond the digital realm, causing operations at the stock exchange and banking sector to stall, which led to unusual scenes at airports, where travelers were forced to use handwritten boarding passes due to systemic disruptions.

Emergency services reported that, despite fire suppression systems in place, the fire quickly engulfed multiple floors of the building housing essential telecommunications equipment. In response to the calamity, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inspected the site and pledged that a recovery plan would be implemented to restore full operation at the facility swiftly. Investigations into the cause of both fires have been launched by Egyptian prosecutors, amidst rising calls for improved safeguards in public infrastructure to prevent similar tragedies in the future.