Students in Cairo advised to take extra precaution

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - BRUNEIAN students in Cairo, Egypt, have been advised to inform their hostel warden and fill in the logbook every time they leave or return, a procedure that has been enforced for the students’ safety following recent bombings near Al-Azhar University campus.

One of the students who declined to be named told The Brunei Times, the situation in Cairo is now back to normal.

“The Brunei embassy officials are in constant contact with the students here and have advised us not to leave the hostel for unnecessary reasons except to go to the university and doing our errands,” he said.

The student said the bombing occurred around the university’s building for female students, and they were already reminded to be extra careful.

“While the female students’ hostel is about a five-minute walk to the university, the hostel for male students is further away, and we are also reminded not to take public buses to the university,” he said, adding that they were told to only use the taxi if they need to go out and run errands.

Currently, the students are on their revision week to prepare for examinations. So far there are no changes in the examination schedule announced by the university, he added.

The student said the Brunei embassy has further instructed all Bruneians not to speak to the media.

In a press statement issued late Thursday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said all Bruneians were safe from the bombings.

A total of 158 students are currently registered with the Brunei Embassy in Egypt.

The bomb blast in a Cairo suburb on Boxing Day wounded five people. Local newspapers reported that it was the second attack this week after a suicide bomber killed 16 people north of the capital on Tuesday.

It was also reported that the Cairo blast, which blew windows out of a bus, was said to be the first aimed at civilians in recent wave attacks. However, there was no claim of responsibility.

News agencies yesterday reported a second device was found nearby and defused.

The Brunei Times