20 Mar Al-Ahram Studio in Cairo destroyed by fire
A major fire destroyed the Al-Ahram Studio in Cairo’s Giza district, one of the Arab world’s most prestigious and oldest film production houses that was founded 80 years ago.
The fire spread to three surrounding buildings which were evacuated before the blaze reached them, according to an AFP journalist.
Some people suffered smoke inhalation, but there were no deaths reported, according to security sources.
Firefighters needed more than six hours to extinguish the fire, and the cause of the fire is still unknown. Deadly fires are a common hazard in Egypt, where fire codes are rarely enforced, and emergency services are often slow to arrive.
Countless Egyptian films and television series were produced in Al-Ahram Studio, which was built on 27,000 square metres and contained three production stages, a screening room, and an editing suite.
In the 1950s, Egypt was the third-biggest film producer globally, and today, it accounts for three-quarters of the Arab world’s cinematic production.