Egypt says Petroleum Ministry provided first official account of Damietta fire

Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum was the first government body to announce details of the fire at Damietta Port, and its initial statement remained accurate throughout the incident, Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan said on Thursday.

Rashwan said the ministry responded immediately with verified information on the fire, its management, and its impact on energy supplies and port operations.

“The Ministry of Petroleum was the first government entity to announce what had happened,” Rashwan said. “Its statement did not contain a single inaccurate word.”

He said government agencies focused first on containing the fire while speculation about the incident spread on social media.

Rashwan said questions about responsibility for the attack and the origin of the drone fell within the remit of the security, defence, and intelligence agencies and would be addressed only after investigations were completed.

He said Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced the following day that preliminary investigations had found a drone caused the fire aboard two vessels at Damietta Port. Authorities are continuing their investigation, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Responding to questions about the spread of unverified reports online, Rashwan said the Ministry of State for Information was not established to censor public debate and would not restrict speech except as provided by law.

He added that the government was preparing legal measures to regulate activity on social media platforms to help curb the spread of misinformation during crises, while preserving freedom of expression and avoiding interference in political discourse.

Rashwan said the government’s priority during emergencies was to contain the situation on the ground before releasing additional information as investigations progressed, adding that further official statements would provide more details once they had been verified.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English