CAIRO: A fire broke out on Tuesday in the Shoura Council building (Egypt’s Upper House of Parliament) injuring 13.
Four emergency service staff and nine people, who were in the building, were reported suffering from smoke inhalation, according to a statement by health ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahin on national television.
“Four emergency service staff were taken to a nearby hospital after suffering smoke-related injuries, the official said.
Army firefighting helicopters were deployed at 7:20 pm, but the blaze was still raging out of control at until time of press at around 9 pm.
The fire, which first broke out on the third and top floor of the building at around 5:40 pm, eventually spread to the second floor after causing the roof to collapse. It caused severe damage to the parliamentary archive, an official told AFP on condition of anonymity. By press time there were predictions that the fire will reach the first floor housing the main assembly hall.
However Parliament Speaker Fathi Sorour later told state TV that copies of all archive material were safe.
“Parliament is currently on summer recess and very few people would have been in the building, a correspondent for the local Nile news channel.
He also attributed the thick billowing smoke to the fact that the 160-year-old historic Shoura Council building is made mostly of wood.
Wind direction and speed, he continued, was pushing the fire towards the People’s Assembly building nearby.
Almost 20 fire trucks and ambulances rushed to put out the fire, which may “have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, according to initial reports.
Witnesses told Daily News Egypt a thick black cloud hung over the entire Downtown area, close to many ministries and government buildings. The smoke was spotted from as far off as Sixth of October Bridge.
Other eye witnesses living in the neighboring area of Garden City predicted that the building would go down.
All roads in the area were closed off, and the traffic diverted allowing access only to emergency services and authorities.
The area is usually under tight security as it is close to the American embassy, the American University in Cairo and several other Western embassies.
“We are still trying to determine the exact cause of the fire, a security official told AFP.
