Cairo data centre fire kills four, takes down Egypt's Internet

A fire at a major telecommunications hub in central Cairo killed four workers and injured at least 39 other people on Monday, severely disrupting phone, internet, and banking services across Egypt.

The blaze broke out on the seventh floor of Telecom Egypt’s Ramses Central building, one of the country’s most important data centres. Civil defence teams said it took six hours to contain the fire, which injured dozens, including firefighters due to smoke inhalation.

Initial investigations found an electrical short circuit as the likely cause, according to a security source cited by Egypt’s state news agency.

The fire damaged critical infrastructure, leading to widespread service outages. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks initially reported national connectivity had dropped to 62 percent of normal levels, falling further to just 44 percent at the peak of the disruption. Digital banking, mobile payments, and government services were affected.

On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Telecommunications said services were being rerouted through alternative hubs and would be gradually restored within 24 hours. However, disruptions to internet access and phone connectivity persisted in Cairo and parts of neighbouring Giza.

Telecom Egypt confirmed that emergency services had been restored in most governorates and extended condolences to the families of the deceased, stating that compensation and support would be provided.

At Egypt’s parliament, speaker Hanafy Gebaly summoned Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat to appear before MPs, following a wave of formal complaints over the government’s handling of the incident.

"It is the minister’s responsibility to appear before parliament immediately after such a major incident, to explain what happened," Gebaly said during a televised session on Tuesday. "He should have been the first person to attend today. His absence undermines transparency."

MPs described the response to the fire as inadequate and demanded an investigation. MP Diaa El Din Dawoud accused the government of neglecting Egypt’s telecommunications infrastructure despite substantial investments in digital transformation.

"The entire country came to a halt because of a fire in one telecommunications hub," Dawoud said. "It’s a catastrophic failure that shows how fragile our systems are. Where has all the digital investment gone?"

Fellow MP Amr Darwish called for the creation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the fire, while Ahmed Farghaly demanded the resignation of senior officials he said were response.

In response, Gebaly directed the parliamentary communications committee to hold an emergency session with Talaat. He said the committee’s findings would be made public.

The incident raised broader concerns about the resilience of Egypt’s essential services. Internet access remains patchy in some areas, and financial transactions continue to face delays.

While parliament was still debating the Ramses incident on Tuesday afternoon, another fire broke out at a sponge factory in New Damietta City, in the Nile Delta. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties but investigations are ongoing.

The blaze comes after Egypt invested heavily in digital infrastructure in recent years, with the government touting its push for a "digital Egypt" and committing funds to technology upgrades, smart cities, and e-governance.