In the darkest hours of Sunday night, hundreds of cancer patients, sleeping only with powerful painkillers, woke up terrified by a huge explosion that rocked the Government Oncology Institute in Cairo, the last line of defense for Egypt's malignantlysic poor.
The accident, which resulted in the crash of 10 cars, killed 20 people and injured dozens, while the Interior Ministry later announced that investigations had concluded that one of the vehicles in the collision in front of the Oncology Institute contained a quantity of explosives intended to carry out a terrorist attack.
The ministry said in a statement that it was estimated that the car, which was going in the opposite direction, was being transported to one of the places for use in carrying out a terrorist operation.
They added that they had been informed of the theft of the car from The Menoufia governorate a few months ago.
panic sweeping the streets
As flameballs were flying, damaging the facade of the institute's building and main entrance, officials at the Oncology Institute rushed to transport the terrified patients at night to nearby hospitals, amid fears of smoke pollution.
Nurses and relatives of children with cancer were seen being transported outside while injection stickers and medical solutions were in their arms.
Some residents searched the sidewalks waiting for ambulances to pick up sick children, while signs of fear and amazement were visible.
None of the patients were injured in the bombing, but the tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 20 people added to the suffering of those patients who watched death hover around them outside the walls of the Institute and claim innocent lives who happened to have been driving by car at the time of the accident.
Reuters quoted a witness who was injured in the incident called: Ali Jaber, "The car burns in front of me and the cars from behind all burn and thank God we are less losses. The people behind me are all dead. Three quarters of them are children."
A resident of the nearby Al-Manial neighborhood, called: Salwa, said: "The sound of a collision." A powerful bomb. Not two cars have messed up at all. I am sure that the car has something in it."
The involvement of the Brotherhood
The Interior Ministry said that the Hasm movement, which is affiliated with the terrorist organization: "The Muslim Brotherhood organization", was behind the preparation and preparation of the car in preparation for the carrying out of one of the terrorist operations by one of its members.
The Egyptian president stressed that the incident was the result of an act of terrorism, saying in a tweet that "the Egyptian state, with all its institutions, is determined to confront and root out the brutal terrorism armed with the strength and will of its great people."
Egypt's Grand Mufti Shawki Allam condemned the terrorist incident, saying that "these terrorist groups do not respect the sanctity of blood or the holy month, but all their aim is to shed the blood of innocent people and terrorize the safe people, and provoke unrest among the people."
Egyptian authorities say the Hasm movement, which is affiliated with the Islamic State, has been involved in several terrorist attacks targeting security and civilian facilities.
But the bombing at the prestigious institute, which treats about 25,000 patients a year free of charge, has shown a ruthless face to terrorism.
By Craig Melon August 5, 2019
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