Egyptian PM Ibrahim Mahlab

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab issued directives to swiftly start renovation works at the Italian Consulate in Downtown Cairo.

A car bomb exploded in front of the Italian consulate in Cairo earlier on Saturday, killing one person and injuring ten others.

The renovation works will be finalized within three months, he added while inspecting the premises of the Italian Consulate along with Cairo Governor Galal Saaed.

The governor said that the blast affected the building of the Italian Consulate and its adjacent buildings.

He also affirmed that the building is intact in terms of construction, adding that the blast affected also part of the facade of the building.

Mahlab also toured the vicinity of the Italian Consulate and met with a number of residents in the area, who explained their conditions, after the blast which damaged their homes.

Mahlab instructed to study each case separately to find a practical solution and implement all renovation works for the buildings, which were affected from the blast.

The residents will decide whether they will be moved to the residential units allocated by Cairo governorate or remain in their houses until the start of renovation works, he added.