Helium cylinder explosion in Cairo mall kills three

Three individuals lost their lives and 17 others sustained injuries following a helium cylinder explosion inside a gift shop in New Cairo on Thursday evening. The Health Ministry reported that the blast ignited a fire within the shop, located on the ground floor of Arabella Plaza Mall. Civil defense units managed to bring the flames under control. The neighboring businesses suffered facade damage, according to the Interior Ministry. The fire was described as limited in scope.

Eight ambulances rushed to the scene, with the Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar confirming that eleven injured individuals were transported to New Cairo Specialized Hospital, while six others received emergency treatment and evaluations at nearby medical facilities. Authorities stated that they were still monitoring the condition of the injured.

Initial reports of the incident were conflicting, with some sources suggesting that a lift had either fallen or collapsed within the mall. However, the Interior Ministry swiftly dismissed these rumors. Egyptian prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding the explosion. Helium, commonly utilized in party and gift shops for balloon inflation, is non-flammable unlike other gases such as propane or butane.

Nevertheless, helium is usually stored in cylinders under high pressure, making them hazardous if damaged, exposed to excessive heat or pressure, or if mishandled or improperly stored. It remains uncertain whether any of these factors contributed to Thursday's unfortunate incident.