Huge car bomb blast outside Italian consulate in Cairo leaves one dead

One person has been killed after a powerful explosion hit the Italian consulate in the centre of Cairo. The force of the blast, which a security official said was caused by a car bomb, shook the building in the downtown area of Egypt’s capital. A spokesman for the health ministry said four people were wounded, with the identity of the person killed not immediately clear. There has been no claim of responsibility so far. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni says his country will not be intimidated by the deadly explosion. Gentiloni posted a message on his Twitter feed saying “our thoughts are with the people affected and with our personnel”.

Italy will not let itself be intimidated.

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni

Diplomats told AFP they had been warned months ago by police that embassies could be targeted, but it was not clear if this was based on specific intelligence. At least one Western embassy has recently relocated because of security concerns. The consulate attack comes less than two weeks after suspected militants assassinated the country’s top prosecutor in a car bombing in Cairo. In Sinai, jihadists loyal to Islamic State group launched a wave of attacks on 1 July that left at least 21 soldiers dead.

I was sleeping when the explosion went off, it blew in my window and when I went outside the air was full of dust.

Ahmed Hasan

Middle East consulate Cairo