- Tests are still being carried out on the remains found in the car
CAIRO: Forensic examinations of the victims of the terrorist car-bomb attack outside the National Cancer Institute in Cairo on Sunday have been completed and the bodies returned to their families.
Tests are still being carried out on the remains found in the car that caused the explosion to determine whether they belong to one or more persons. They include a leg, scalp and parts of a face and back.
Egyptian security forces are continuing to investigate the incident, which left 22 people dead and dozens injured. The public prosecutor has received preliminary forensic reports based on examinations of the victims, which found traces of explosive material on their bodies.
According to witness statements given to prosecutors, a car being driven in the wrong direction along the Nile Corniche collided with two cars before exploding, causing windows at the National Cancer Institute and other nearby buildings to shatter.
Repair work has started at the institute, which was damaged in the attack but hopes to be operating again at full capacity as soon as possible. A number of construction companies, including Arab Contractors Company, have begun the external repairs.
“Damage to the institute is estimated to be 8 percent in some parts and 10 percent in others,” said Dr. Hatem Abulkasem, the dean of the institute. In addition to the exterior damage, the explosion also damaged internal walls and ceilings, along with patients’ rooms and operating theaters. The first and second floor sustained the worst damage.
Abulkasem said the institute is operating at 50 percent capacity and that outpatient clinics are operating, along with chemotherapy and radiation treatments and laboratory testing.
Dr. Amr Al-Demairi, director of outpatient clinics at the institute, said it treats about 25,000 patients per month. He added that doctors and nursing staff who were working at the institute at the time of the attack had continued to treat patients despite the chaos. He said that many off-duty medical staff rushed to the institute to help as soon as they heard about the attack.