Egyptians just woke up to the sound of a huge explosion, that rocked downtown Cairo. Photographs posted online show a plume of smoke rising above the horizon. Some report the sound of gunshot. Initial reports claim that the explosion happened around the Cairo Police Directorate.
Journalist Rawya Rageh is glued to her TV screen reporting:
State TV interviewing witness saying explosion was in vicinity of Cairo Police Directorate #Egypt [1]
— Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh) January 24, 2014 [2]
#Egypt [1] state TV talking abt gunmen on motorbikes during q & a with witness, though report not sourced yet
— Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh) January 24, 2014 [3]
The information so far is sketchy. Online, Cairo residents are scrambling for information.
Mohamed Abdelfattah asks:
Shit anyone heard what I heard ? Was that an explosion I just woke up to it
— Mohamed Abdelfattah (@mfatta7) January 24, 2014 [4]
Rania Hafez reports:
The house went on vibrate for a breif moment #cairo [5] #explosion [6] #mohandesin [7]
— Rania Hafez (@rania_hafez) January 24, 2014 [8]
Cairo Live 24/7 shares this photograph:
Explosion in downtown #cairo [5] Large plume of smoke from about 1km north of downtown #cairo [5] #egypt [9] pic.twitter.com/tv1snLXOTr [10]
— Cairo Live 24/7 (@cairotoday) January 24, 2014 [11]
And this photograph is also making the rounds:
@Bassem_Sabry [12] pic.twitter.com/xYh3kHlOjN [13]
— kha sf (@khasafy) January 24, 2014 [14]
And Mahmoud Saber says it could only be from the Cairo Police Directorate:
انا شايف الدخان من الشباك .. الدخان طالع من نحية مديرية امن القاهرة .. ومفيش اي حاجه في المنطقة دي غغير مديرية اامن القاهرة
— Mahmoud Saber (@Aouds) January 24, 2014 [15]
I am looking at the smoke from outside my window. The smoke is coming from the direction of the Cairo Police Directorate. There isn't anything in that direction except the police directorate