Egypt: Two dead and 12 injured in fire and explosion at a restaurant in a shopping mall in New Cairo

A fire inside a restaurant at a shopping complex in the Fifth Settlement area of eastern Cairo turned into a tragic incident on Thursday, killing two people and injuring 12 others, according to Egyptian newspapers.

The Al-Youm Al-Sabea newspaper reported that the fire broke out inside a restaurant simultaneously with an elevator collapse at the mall, noting that the incident was caused by a gas cylinder explosion. The emergency operations center received reports from residents before the bodies of the two victims and the injured were transported to the hospital.

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An initial casualty count reported by the newspaper indicated one death and several injuries, before the toll rose to two dead and 12 injured.

For its part, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper stated that the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the Ambulance Authority dispatched 10 fire trucks and 5 ambulances to the scene in the Fifth Settlement.

It added that a state of maximum emergency was declared in the surrounding area to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading to adjacent units and shops within the commercial complex.

Rescue forces combed the site to ensure no one was trapped amidst thick smoke, while security forces established a cordon around the area to keep citizens away and facilitate the movement of fire and ambulance vehicles.

Circulated video footage showed destruction and debris inside one of the restaurants, with parts of the facade and restaurant contents scattered around the site, as Civil Defense and security teams surrounded the building.

Local accounts of the incident’s sequence varied; Al-Youm Al-Sabea attributed the cause to a gas cylinder explosion, while other reports indicated that the elevator fell first, followed by the fire.

Official authorities have not yet released final details regarding the circumstances of the incident.