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Major Infrastructure Failure in Egypt
A devastating fire at Telecom Egypt's primary data center in Cairo has claimed four lives and injured over twenty people. The blaze erupted Monday evening in the facility housing Egypt's main internet exchange point, causing nationwide service disruptions.
Casualties and Immediate Impact
Victims were all Telecom Egypt employees, with most injuries resulting from smoke inhalation. Firefighters battled multiple flare-ups through the night before containing the blaze. The incident caused:
- Nationwide internet and phone service outages
- Suspension of trading on Cairo's stock exchange
- Flight disruptions at Cairo International Airport
- Banking and payment system failures
Critical Infrastructure Damage
The affected data center serves as Egypt's primary internet backbone, routing approximately 90% of the country's digital traffic. Telecom Egypt, founded in 1854, operates as Egypt's historic telecommunications monopoly and remains the nation's sole fixed-line provider. The company also holds a 45% stake in Vodafone Egypt.
Economic Consequences
Egypt's stock exchange suspended trading Tuesday due to brokerage firms' inability to access trading systems. The Central Bank of Egypt temporarily increased cash withdrawal limits to EGP 500,000 to mitigate banking disruptions. Preliminary investigations suggest an electrical short circuit caused the fire.
Recovery Efforts
Egypt's Minister of Communications expects full service restoration within 24 hours. Telecom Egypt has activated backup systems while cybersecurity teams monitor for potential vulnerabilities during the recovery phase. This incident highlights Egypt's vulnerability to single-point infrastructure failures as the country continues its digital transformation.
