CAIRO: Security forces ceased their search for the Shoura Council fire s only victim officer Fouad Mansour, after rummaging through the rubble for the past few days to no avail.
Mansour was allegedly buried under the wreckage of the building during the futile attempts to control the escalating fire flames.
Almost a week after the 12-hour-long fire broke out at the Upper House of Parliament, the media continues to report conflicting news related to the tragedy.
Last Thursday, President Hosni Mubarak visited the doomed heritage site while discussing plan put forth by officials to rebuild it. Official sources at the parliament reassured the public that all of Egypt’s historical documents were safe at the People’s Assembly Library, which was not affected by the fire. The sources added that the library was well equipped and consists of hi-tech fire alarms and automatic sprinklers.
Al-Ahram and Akhbar Al-Youm newspapers printed pictures of the handwritten historical assembly minutes and precious antiques that were inside the Shoura Council during the fire on their front pages, proving that they were unharmed. A picture of King Farouk’s Throne was also included.
However, critics argue that the pictures are reprinted from the archives because the weak resolution of the images.
The Technical, Architectural and Historical council which is headed by Aly Abdul-Rahman, former Cairo University president and a pioneering architect in Egypt, emphasized that the foundation and walls of the first floor of the three-storey building were unharmed.
On Saturday, some flames were reportedly reignited while investigators rummaged through the rubble, but the awakened flames were immediately put out.
The fire not only gutted the building, but ate up some employees salaries who now have to submit a petition to receive the financial aid deemed appropriate by the National Treasury.
Several MPs, members including journalists, lawyers and businessmen proposed donating their raises to the ill-starred employees.
Some news reports also claim that the Shoura Council’s main assembly hall will ready to host the upcoming parliamentary round in its usual time in November.
