Egypt prosecutors open investigation into death at Cairo Tower

Young man fell from top of landmark in capital

An investigation has begun after a man fell to his death from the top of Cairo Tower. Reuters

Egypt’s prosecutor general has launched an investigation into the death of a young man who fell from Cairo Tower, one of the capital’s most prominent landmarks, on Monday night.

In a statement posted on various social media channels, prosecutors said the man, who had climbed to the top of the building with a friend, died instantly.

Witnesses told police the man had waited until his friend and others at the top of the tower were looking away before running up a metal staircase and falling from the 187-metre structure overlooking the Nile in the island district of Zamalek.

A university student fell from the same building to his death in 2019. Investigations at the time found that the man had been experiencing psychological problems.

A leaked video of the incident caused widespread outrage at the time, with many calling it insensitive.

A similar incident took place the previous year involving a young man who had been suffering from pressure because of his school exams.

The World Health Organisation in 2020 said Egypt had a relatively low suicide rate.

But it is feared the true number could be higher, with official figures misrepresenting reality because of taboos surrounding the phenomenon.