An industrial accident at a cement company in central Sinai has resulted in the deaths of at least five workers, as well as the injury of at least 28 others. However, details of the accident, which took place on Saturday, remain unclear after a series of conflicting statements by state officials and local media.
The exact number of fatalities and injuries is contested, and even the name of the cement company in question is not certain.
Both state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar reported on Saturday the deaths of five workers and the injury of another ten. Reuters-affiliated news agency Aswat Masriya meanwhile reported that five workers had died, citing Health Ministry officials, and another 40 people had been wounded in the accident.
Al-Akhbar reported at least 35 injuries, claiming they were a result of collapsed scaffolding at the Sinai Cement Company, a state-owned company in Sinai. However, Al-Ahram reported 28 casualties, claiming they were a result of a collapsed metal silo.
Other news reports mentioned the deaths of eight workers and the injury of another 50 workers. Some privately owned media outlets reported up to 10 fatalities.
However, on Sunday sources from the Ministry of Health in North Sinai confirmed five fatalities and another 28 injuries requiring hospitalization. Media reports have confirmed that these casualties were rushed in ambulances to the Arish General Hospital and the Armed Forces Hospital – both located in the North Sinai town of Arish.
According to privately owned newspaper Youm7, a total of 28 workers have been hospitalized – including three who have been transferred to the intensive care unit at Arish General Hospital.
While reports on Saturday mentioned that the accident had taken place at the Sinai Cement Company, the military-owned firm denied the reports on Sunday.
In an official press release from the Sinai Cement Company to the Egyptian Stock Exchange, the company claimed: “This incident has nothing to do with the [Sinai Cement] company.”
The statement added that the accident happened in “another cement company located in central Sinai.” However, the press release did not mention the name of the other cement company.
The General Prosecutor’s office meanwhile announced that it is currently investigating the industrial accident, while the Ministry of Manpower announced on Sunday that it will be providing the families of the dead and injured with compensation or financial assistance – the exact sums of these compensations have not been announced, however.
Saturday’s accident is amongst the deadliest industrial catastrophes to hit Egypt this year. In September, the ceiling of a privately owned textile factory collapsed in Cairo’s satellite town of Al-Obour City, resulting in the deaths of five workers and the injury of over 30 others.
