Blaze at Cairo telecommunications building injures 22

A state TV reporter said it had been contained.

People were unable to make phone calls, and a major internet disruption was registered after the fire erupted in the building in central Cairo, with internet monitoring group Netblocks saying network data showed national connectivity at 62 percent of ordinary levels.

The health ministry also posted alternative numbers for ambulance services across different governorates in case people were unable to reach its main hotline.

Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions, a bank source and residents said. Banks had already been closed for the day.

The injuries were mostly because of smoke inhalation, health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said.