File photo of Ramses Exchange Building fire. Photo: Al-Ahram
Earlier, the prosecution dispatched a team to investigate the major fire that broke out on Monday at the 11-story Ramses building and an adjoining six-story international communications facility and document all the damage.
In a statement, the prosecution affirmed that it thoroughly inspected the entire building, both inside and outside, after the Civil Protection Forces had completed the cooling operations.
Moreover, it seized all the building’s surveillance equipment and storage units and assigned experts from the General Department of Criminal Evidence to collect and examine all traces from the scene.
The authorities also formed a tripartite committee from the Housing and Building National Research Centre, the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University, and the Engineering Department in Cairo Governorate to assess the building’s condition and recommend necessary measures to protect lives and property.
They also assigned a separate five-member committee from the Faculty of Engineering to inspect the building’s IT infrastructure, including servers, network systems, generators, and batteries, to determine whether it had met applicable technical standards and codes.
The prosecution also dispatched a team to take statements from the 21 injured in nearby hospitals and to separately examine the bodies of the four deceased. It also assigned the Forensic Medicine Authority to conduct external autopsies to identify the causes of death and collect DNA samples for further analysis.
Still, investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire, assess compliance with occupational safety and health standards, and verify adherence to civil defence and fire safety regulations.
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