Cairo governor inspects Italian consulate blast scene

Cairo Governor Galal Mostafa Saeed inspected the site of the explosion that occurred outside the Italian Consulate in downtown Cairo early Saturday.

The governor met a number of residents and listened to their demands.

He further affirmed that preserving the residents' lives is more precious.

The governorate will spare no efforts in protecting citizens and transferring the inhabitants of damaged houses to residential units in the Sixth of October City, he said.

Regarding the building of the Italian Consulate, the governor said that the building is registered as a building with distinct architectural style.

The blast heavily damaged the wall of the building and the adjacent building, he added.

A specialized construction company was assigned to start work within 24 hours to restore the building of the Italian Consulate in cooperation and coordination with the Italian side, he pointed out.

According to the initial inspection of the prosecution, a car bomb exploded in front of the Italian consulate in Cairo on Saturday, killing one person and injuring nine others.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the early morning blast, which caused heavy damage to the consulate. It shook other buildings downtown and could be heard in several surrounding neighborhoods.

Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said there were no Italian victims in the blast. "Italy will not be intimidated," he said on Twitter.