Cairo Cancer Institute resumes work after deadly blast

CAIRO – 18 August 2019: The head of Cairo Universitysaid that all departments of the National Cancer Institute have resumed receiving patients andcarrying out surgeries days after being partially damaged by a deadly blast.

In an interview with Egypt Today, Mohamed Othman al-Khosht, head of Cairo University, said that the renovation of the main building of the Institute is underway, adding that the state works to increase the capacity of the Institute by 34 percent through completingthe construction of its southern building.

A blast took place in front of Cairo's Cancer Institute building earlier in August, killing 22 people and injuring 47 others, according to the official figure. The explosion occurred because of a car that contained explosives and drove wrong-way to crash into three other cars in front of the building, according to the Interior Ministry.

The ministry blamed the incident on Hasm movement figures, believed to be affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, and arrested those involved in the incident, according to a statement it issued on Thursday August 8.

The Church, led by Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, and a number of Egyptian public figures announced donating for the restoration works of the institute: Businessman HishamTalaatMostafa donated LE 10 million, Dar Al-Orman Association donated LE 10 million, the Ministry of Social Solidarity allocated LE 5 million from the budget of Nasser Social Bank to the restoration of the building, businessman NaguibSawiris donated LE 1 million, businessman Ahmed AbouHashima donated LE 1 million, Garhy Steel donated LE 3 million, and businessman Mohamed AboulEnein announced he would donate any quantity of ceramic needed.

Few days following the incident, the Interior Ministry said it identified the terrorist who was involved in the explosion, saying that he is a Hasm movement member who hadbeen involved in a 2018 terrorist case.

The investigations also led the police forces to two locations were the Hasm terrorist hide in Fayoum and Cairo. The police forces raided the hideouts, killing a total of 15 fighters, according to the ministry, and seizing a number of weapons, bullets and explosives.