By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
    Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
    September 25, 2023
    Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
    Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
    September 25, 2023
    SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
    SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
    September 25, 2023
    Huawei partners with Egypt to transfer modern technologies for digital transformation: Madkour
    Huawei partners with Egypt to transfer modern technologies for digital transformation: Madkour
    September 25, 2023
    HSBC plans climate tech funding push
    HSBC plans climate tech funding push
    September 25, 2023
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
    Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
    September 25, 2023
    Defence Minister meets NATO Military Committee chief
    Defence Minister meets NATO Military Committee chief
    September 25, 2023
    Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq discuss economic, political cooperation in New York
    Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq discuss economic, political cooperation in New York
    September 24, 2023
    Al-Sisi highlights opportunities for mutual benefit with China
    Al-Sisi highlights opportunities for mutual benefit with China
    September 24, 2023
    Egypt, India affirm their strategic partnership, discuss regional issues
    Egypt, India affirm their strategic partnership, discuss regional issues
    September 24, 2023
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Microsoft Egypt aims to provide advanced AI models, build solid AI ecosystem: Mirna Arif
    Microsoft Egypt aims to provide advanced AI models, build solid AI ecosystem: Mirna Arif
    September 18, 2023
    I love privacy, and I am not concerned about competition: Yasmine Sabry
    I love privacy, and I am not concerned about competition: Yasmine Sabry
    September 14, 2023
    Sustainability, digital transformation at the heart of our strategy: Heidelberg Materials Egypt
    Sustainability, digital transformation at the heart of our strategy: Heidelberg Materials Egypt
    September 12, 2023
    India welcomes Egypt's BRICS membership: Boosting trade, investment, and access to strategic commodities
    India welcomes Egypt’s BRICS membership: Boosting trade, investment, and access to strategic commodities
    September 11, 2023
    The box office is not a measure of success: Basma Hassan
    The box office is not a measure of success: Basma
    September 6, 2023
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Reading: Attaba blaze aftermath: shop owners in peril after fire destroys stores, goods
Share
Notification
Latest News
Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
Politics Egypt
Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
Business
Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
Business
SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
Business
Huawei partners with Egypt to transfer modern technologies for digital transformation: Madkour
Huawei partners with Egypt to transfer modern technologies for digital transformation: Madkour
Business
Aa
Aa
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.
Dailynewsegypt > Blog > Egypt > Attaba blaze aftermath: shop owners in peril after fire destroys stores, goods
EgyptPolitics

Attaba blaze aftermath: shop owners in peril after fire destroys stores, goods

Menan Khater
Last updated: 2016/05/10 at 7:29 PM
By Menan Khater 5 Min Read
Share
SHARE

Two days have passed since a huge fire broke out in a building located in Attaba, downtown Cairo on Sunday. The building houses a hotel and several factories and rests at the centre of a popular market for wholesale traders and retailers, and a countless number of street vendors.

Hundreds of shops, most of them used to sell shoes, were completely torched, leaving their owners in peril and in debt as they were unable to save any of their goods or money.

The fire killed three people and injured at least 90 due to smoke inhalation. It also destroyed dozens of warehouses and stalls belonging to street vendors. Eyewitnesses told Daily News Egypt that the three who were killed in the blaze died after they attempted to re-enter the burning building in order to save their earnings from the fire.

The damages mostly included non-residential buildings and shops, despite the proximity of some residential buildings to the initial location of the blaze.

While the state’s narrative claims that the fire quickly jumped to the nearby buildings that suffered the most damage, three buildings located on the left side of the fire’s source suffered no damage.

Eyewitnesses can only recall the fourth building on the hotel’s left side catching fire all of a sudden, giving way to suspicion over the fire’s source at the hotel and how it reached the other buildings.

“Could this be a targeted incident against the presence of traders and street vendors in the area?” asked one shoe shop owner, who preferred to remain anonymous.

He estimated that the damages to his shop would cost at least EGP 750,000. “This amount is not a net profit,” he told Daily News Egypt. “But they are mostly debts to factories and the value of damaged goods.”

Following his visit to the location, Cairo Governor Mohamed Aiman Abdel Tawab decided to pay a compensation of only EGP 5,000 at most to those affected by the fire. According to the shop owners, this amount does not even begin to approach the losses endured.

Eyewitnesses at the location of the blaze claimed that fire fighters took hours to reach the hotel. Residents attribute the wide scale damage of the fire to this delay in particular.

None of the fire fighters were available to comment on the damages or cause of the fire, as they are still removing burnt items and cleaning out the area.

Attaba is a historic shopping district for lower- and middle-income citizens. The products sold vary from shoes to garments and utilities, and all are sold at wholesale prices. As you walk down its packed streets you can hear the loud voices of street vendors bargaining.

The area damaged by the fire is blocked off from traffic and passersby, and is surrounded by security forces and fire fighters, in addition to the shopkeepers who continue to lament their losses.

This is not the first incident of its kind to take place in Attaba. A week ago, a fire occurred in the same exact district of the district’s Roweiy area, which caused damage to the Sednawy shop and dozens of street vendors’ stalls.

Attaba has witnessed a number of huge fires, which have commonly been declared as the result of electrical fires due to faulty wiring. In August 2015, the telecommunications building of Attaba caught fire, which resulted in landlines being disconnected in surrounding areas.

In 2008, the National Theatre located in Attaba also caught fire, which led to damages to its main hall and some of the walls and art in the building. There were no injuries reported from the incident.

On Sunday, the same day of the Attaba fire, several other reports of fires were recorded across Egypt, mostly in factories in Sohag, Sharqia, and Dakhlia among others.

You Might Also Like

Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December

Defence Minister meets NATO Military Committee chief

Health Minister orders probe into New Cairo Hospital violations

Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq discuss economic, political cooperation in New York

Al-Sisi highlights opportunities for mutual benefit with China

TAGGED: Attaba, fire
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
By Menan Khater
Politics and investigative reporter for Daily News Egypt. Initiator and lead instructor of DNE's special reporting project for university students 'What Lies Beyond.' Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menannn1
Previous Article Through the eyes of a refugee: photographer Hayman steps into the world of Al-Zaatari refugee camp
Next Article Yehia Qalash MPs meet with Press Syndicate board, call on them to be more ‘flexible’
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad image
Ad image

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe

Latest News

Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
Presidential election in Egypt set for 10-12 December
Politics Egypt
Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
Tatweer Misr breaks sales record in H1 2023
Business
Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
Real estate exports boost Egypt’s economy, Cityscape panel reveals
Business
SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
SODIC reports 22% sales growth in 2023
Business
//
Egypt’s only independent daily newspaper in English. Discuss the country’s latest with the paper’s reporters, editors, and other readers.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?