CAIRO: Employees at the district authority of West Cairo complained of dire working conditions as they are forced to resume work at a partially burnt building, located next to the Scientific Complex. Employees say that the building is not suitable for work, explaining that there is no electricity on the fourth floor and is hence too dark to work. They also complain that the bathrooms aren't functioning and that some office equipment, including desks and computers were looted during the fire. The head of the district authority's office was burnt down and the air conditioners were stolen. According to the employees, head of the district authority Khalil Ghazi warned on Dec. 21 that employees would be sent to investigations should they miss work. Sixty-three employees were referred to investigations for missing work, their colleague claimed. However no penalty was set yet. Other employees in other floors and nearby buildings were evacuated out of the area, which suggests that the building might collapse soon, employees said. “One of our connections spoke with Seif El-Islam, deputy governor, who promised that they will try to renovate the building as soon as possible, but we don't know when. It could collapse at any time,” Nawal Gadallah, an employee at the district authority, said. The Scientific Complex caught fire on Dec. 17 amid clashes between army forces and protesters. The Complex was founded in 1798 during Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt, and contained more than 20,000 historical documents and manuscripts. The fire had a direct affect on the nearby buildings which including the Boulak district authority and the Ministry of Transportation. The Cairo governorate could not be reached for comment.
