Although multiple arson attacks on public property have been claimed by terrorist organizations over the past few months, numerous other fires have been caused by faulty electrical wiring in various governorates.
At least nine massive fires in March in April were caused by electric shorts and sparks; three attributed to a short circuit took place on the same day of April 25: three telecommunication towers in 6 October city, a public transportation bus in Warraq, Cairo, and a fire broke out at a vinegar factory in Gharbia, injuring 26.
On April 2, 7 shops burned down and 4 were injured in a fire in Port Said. The fire destroyed 7 shops, 2 warehouses, imported goods and an old 4-story wooden house, and was reportedly caused by a short circuit.
Three train cars had to be separated and service delayed more than two hours when a fire broke out on a Desouk train, also reported caused by an electrical short.
On March 4, the Cairo International Conventions Center, a sprawling campus of multiple event calls, erupted into flames, injuring nine, and burning almost to the ground before the fire was extinguished. The Ministry of Interior attributed the cause of the accident to be a circuit that shorted.
Although fire code exists in Egypt, fully compliant buildings are rare to find; residential buildings often lock lobby doors, meaning that residents need their keys to exit, and most buildings often only have one entrance and exit; were it to be blocked by a fire there would be no other way for persons to escape.
According to North Cairo Electricity Distribution Company (NCEDC), the number of fire accidents in Egypt in the last 5 years exceeded 30,000. The Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) previously reported that 400 million EGP ($52.44 million) is lost per year in damages caused by fires.
