Small Fire In Security Vehicle Near British Embassy In Cairo Extinguished

A fire in a security vehicle stationed near the British embassy in Cairo, currently closed for security reasons, was extinguished by police and fire-fighters on Friday morning.

According to an interior ministry statement, the fire was caused by a leak in a teargas canister stored inside the Central Security Forces vehicle, which is stationed on Latin America Street in Garden City.

There were no reported injuries.

Police have maintained tight security around the British embassy, which has been closed since Sunday for “security reasons.”

A number of foreign embassies in Cairo have also closed their doors or updated their security status in the last week, leading to widespread speculation in Egyptian media as to the nature of the security risk.

The Canadian embassy closed its doors on Monday, also citing security concerns and has not set a date to reopen.

The Australian embassy updated its travel advice to nationals, warning of reports indicating militants may be planning attacks against embassies in the Egyptian capital.

However, the Australian embassy itself has remained open, as has the British Consulate-General in Alexandria.

In response to the embassies’ closure, Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdel-Atti said Egypt won’t accept any “exaggerations” in security demands by foreign embassies.

“We are ready to listen to (security) remarks and positively react to them if they are logical,” Abdel-Atti told Dream 2 satellite channel on Monday.

“Using the suspension of work as a pressuring tool to get more security procedures is unacceptable,” he added.

Source : Ahram online