Cairo: Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil rushed to visit a five-star hotel near Tahrir Square to assuage a panic-stricken hospitality industry after an attack by armed assailants shook the staff and prompted guests to rush out of the chaos-hit area.
The Semiramis Intercontinental in central Cairo came under attack overnight when masked assailants forced their way inside, ransacked and looted the lobby even as anti government protesters were clashing with security forces outside.
The hotel sent panic SOS calls on its Twitter account, seeking help, after which local civilians and groups of protesters came to its aid and held the trouble makers.
Reports in the local Al Ahram and Egyptian Independent said the incident prompted many visitors to check out of the hotel.
Prime Minister Qandil visited the Semiramis after the attack.
"EMERGENCY! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! SEVERAL THUGS HAVE ENTERED THE SEMIRAMIS! SEND HELP," hotel employees pleaded via the official hotel account on Twitter.
"SOS If anyone knows anyone in #Military #Police #Government, please send help! Thugs in Lobby," they said.
Local civilians and batches of anti-government protesters came to the aid of the panic-stricken staff and guests and held the assailants before handing them over to police.
The inside of the hotel reception was left gutted, broken glass and rocks were strewn across the floor and outside the main gates, said a report in Al Ahram.
An executive at the hotel was quoted as telling reporters that more than 45 clients insisted on leaving despite the hotel`s offer to relocate them to higher floors. He said guests at other neighbouring hotels also followed suit.
He also demanded compensation from the Ministry of Tourism for the losses sustained by hotels over the past few days, and warned that tourists would take home negative reports about the country.
Ever since Egypt observed the second anniversary of its uprising on January 25, clashes have been witnessed in Cairo and several other provinces. Unrest intensified after a court in Port Said sentenced 21 football fans to death for their role in a post match violence.
The demonstrations have turned into protests against President Mohamed Mursi and the ruling regime.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.