An investigation is currently underway to determine if violations committed by an unlicensed shoe warehouse in Giza’s Kerdasa led two days go to the breakout of a massive fire, which damaged the foundation of a 13-storey building and put it at risk of collapse, according to the Administrative Prosecution Authority.

The owner of the warehouse, who also owns the building, has been arrested and is currently in police custody. 

The 13-storey building consists of 108 housing units (15 of which are inhabited), and directly overlooks the Ring Road, which has been closed in both directions for the third consecutive day as Civil Protection Forces attempt to stop the fire from spreading.  

All residents of the building and those of three neighbouring buildings have been forced to evacuate, leaving their possessions behind. 

The investigation will be conducted by the Technical Office of the Head of the Investigations Authority, according to head of the Administrative Prosecution Authority Essam El-Minshawi, who added that a number of serious building violations may have taken place during the initial stages of construction. 

El-Minshawi added that a special committee from the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University will begin to examine the property as soon as the fire is completely extinguished.

According to a 2018 report by the local development ministry, Egypt registered 2 million building violations between 2000 and 2017.

Egypt has seen a significant rise in illegal buildings amid the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising.