Hot weather causes explosion at petrochemicals company outside Cairo Int'l Airport

CAIRO – 13 July 2018: Civil Defense Forces have managed to contain the fire that broke out due to an explosion at the Heliopolis For Chemical Industries Company outside the Cairo International Airport's perimeters on Thursday evening.

Bassem Abdel-Kareem, spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Ministry, stated in press remarks that the explosion took place at a petrochemicals plant on the Huckstep road.

He denied early news that claimed the explosion occurred at the Cairo International, its pier, or the gas station.

Immediately as the explosion broke out, 12 fire trucks, two water tanks, dozens of security vans and ambulances were dispatched to the scene to contain the situation.

The ministry’s spokesperson affirmed that the flights at the airport were not at all affected by the explosion.

Only 12 injuries were reported so far; the injured were immediately transferred to the nearest hospital to receive immediate treatment. Investigations are undergoing to stand on what started the explosion.

According to Military Spokesperson Tamer al-Rifai, preliminary reports suggest the explosion took place due to the high temperature caused by the hot weather. He affirmed the explosion took place far from the Cairo International Airport.

For his part, head of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation said in a statement that the explosion occurred far from the walls of the Cairo International Airport. He also affirmed that the air traffic was not affected by the explosion.