ALBAWABA- A powerful explosion shook eastern Cairo on Monday morning, sending a thick plume of smoke into the sky and rattling windows across several districts, just hours before world leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh for a landmark Gaza peace summit.
The blast, which occurred around midday local time near the Cairo-Ismailia highway in the Heliopolis and New Cairo areas, was heard across much of the capital, prompting widespread concern as emergency services rushed to the scene.
Witnesses described a “deafening boom” followed by flames and a rising column of smoke near a military zone behind the Future City of the Armed Forces.
Fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze, and ambulances were dispatched to the area, though no casualties were reported. The explosion caused limited structural damage and minor disruption to nearby traffic.
Egyptian authorities were quick to reassure the public, ruling out terrorism or sabotage. State media initially attributed the blast to quarry work or a construction mishap before later linking it to safety tests for Cairo’s expanding monorail system.
“The incident was caused by routine operations and poses no security threat,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that a full investigation is underway.
The timing of the explosion raised speculation given its proximity to the start of the high-stakes Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others. President Trump, who had earlier addressed Israel’s Knesset and met with hostage families in Tel Aviv, was en route to the Red Sea resort city when the blast occurred. Social media briefly erupted with rumors of a political link, but Egyptian officials dismissed such claims as “baseless.”
Despite the incident, the summit proceeded as scheduled under heightened security.
Co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the gathering brought together leaders from more than 25 nations and international organizations, including the UN, EU, and Arab League.
The conference aims to consolidate the newly brokered Gaza ceasefire and advance Trump’s 20-point peace framework focused on reconstruction, governance, and humanitarian aid.
Notably absent were representatives from Israel and Hamas, both choosing to rely on mediators such as Egypt and Qatar.
Iran declined participation amid continuing tensions with Washington. The agenda centers on finalizing the ceasefire’s implementation, establishing a transitional administration for Gaza, and mobilizing international support for rebuilding the enclave after nearly two years of devastating conflict.
