ChatGPT said: Egypt's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Fawzy reassured Tuesday the public that critical data impacted by the fire at Ramsis Exchange had been fully backed up, as services disrupted by the blaze were swiftly restored across key sectors. The fire, which broke out at one of Egypt's main telecommunications hubs, led to a temporary shutdown of services, affecting around 50,000 customers in the immediate vicinity. However, Minister Fawzy emphasised that the decision to temporarily disconnect services was a preventative measure, taken to mitigate further damage across the country's communication infrastructure. "We acted voluntarily to avoid broader system disruptions," he said at a parliamentary session. While quality in certain areas dipped to 80 per cent, services were fully restored by late afternoon. Mobile services, including those provided by all four major network operators, faced brief quality issues, but those were resolved within hours. In a show of resilience, the country's banking services, stock exchange, and airport operations quickly resumed normal functionality by the evening. The government confirmed that the fire did not cause significant long-term damage to any critical infrastructure. Minister Fawzy also addressed concerns over emergency services, including police and ambulance systems, noting that while three ambulance providers experienced temporary outages, services were restored by 4 p.m. local time. "We are not entirely dependent on Ramses Exchange. Communication services in all other governorates continued without issue," Minister Fawzy said, stressing the phased move away from reliance on the damaged hub. The fire, which is being investigated by public prosecutors, has prompted the formation of an engineering committee to assess the building's structural stability. The government continues to coordinate with the parliament to ensure transparency in the investigation and recovery process. "Minister of Communications is on the ground, and my colleague is available to respond to any further questions," Fawzi added. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad Arabic Subediting: Y.Yasser
