At least three people have lost their lives and another 17 have been injured this Thursday after an explosion that triggered a fire in a restaurant located in New Cairo, in the eastern area of the Egyptian capital.
The spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Health, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, has indicated that three people have died and 17 have suffered injuries, all of whom have been transferred to different hospitals for their care.
In this regard, he detailed that eleven of the injured were referred to the Specialized Hospital of New Cairo, while the other six were taken to several nearby health centers to receive medical treatment.
Eight ambulances were dispatched to the Arabella Plaza shopping center, located on Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, after the detonation. Civil Defense teams evacuated the premises and managed to extinguish the fire caused by the explosion.
Health authorities have reinforced the alert level in hospitals and clinics in the area, while an official investigation has been launched to clarify the origin and causes of the incident.