CAIRO: A building in Egypt’s Nile Delta partially collapsed following a fire that broke out Friday at dawn, killing at least eight people and injuring 29 others, according to officials.
An electrical short circuit caused a boiler to explode and a fire to break out on the second floor of a dye business in el-Mahalla city, which is known for textile manufacturing, in Gharbia province. That led to the partial collapse of the building, said the governor’s media office in a statement.
Gov. Ashraf Al-Gendy, who visited the site, said in a statement that emergency response crews fully contained the fire and removing destroyed parts of the building, but rescuers are still trying to pull out three people from under the rubble. Their conditions are unclear.
The labor ministry said in a statement that some members of the civil defense personnel died while extinguishing the fire. One of the injured is in intensive care, eight are still in the hospital and the others have been treated and released, according to the governor’s office.
In July, a fire engulfed the main telecom company building in downtown Cairo, injuring at least 14 people and prompting a temporary outage of Internet and mobile phone services.
Fire and building collapse in Egypt’s Nile Delta kills 8, injures 29
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Fire and building collapse in Egypt’s Nile Delta kills 8, injures 29
Syrian authorities bust smuggling ring, tighten border controls
- Smugglers' boat collides with rocks as it attempted to flee pursuing as Coast Guard vessels
- The boat was about to illegally transport passengers from the Syrian coast of Tartus coast to Cyprus
DAMASCUS: Syrian Coast Guard forces have arrested members of a human smuggling network operating in the western town of Tartus, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Saturday.
Authorities pounced on the smugglers as they were about to transport passengers from the Tartus coast to Cyprus by illegal means, the state media said, citing a statement from the General Authority of Ports and Customs.
"The operation resulted in the arrest of all those involved, including the organizers of the trip," said the report, adding that the smugglers' boat attempted to escape as Coast Guard vessels surrounded it, but collided with rocks.
No details were made available on how many suspects were arrested and how many passengers were rescued. Criminal charges are being prepared against the arrested suspects, SANA said.
New restrictions on commercial transit
In a separate move to regulate trade and border security, the ports and customs authority has issued a new policy restricting truck access at land crossings and seaports.
Commercial trucks will now only be permitted entry for loading or unloading upon presentation of an original receipt from the Ministry of Transport’s freight office.
The transfer of cargo between Syrian and non-Syrian vehicles must now take place strictly within designated customs yards at border crossings.
Trucks passing through Syria in transit remain permitted, provided they are under a mandatory customs escort between entry and exit points.
