On October 27, 1996, a twelve-storied building collapsed in the city of Heliopolis, near Egypt's capital city, Cairo. Sixty-four people died in this accident.

At the request of the government of Egypt, the Japanese government sent a 24-member Japan Disaster Relief Rescue Team, through JICA. The rescue team arrived in Cairo late in the evening of the 30th, and assisted with the Egyptian rescue efforts throughout the night. Subsequently, the team was divided into shift crews, and worked in the rescue operations on a 24-hour basis. Thirty-two bodies were found by the time all of the rubble was cleared away in the evening of November 2nd. The team gave its all in the hopes of finding survivors, including inserting fiber scopes into the rubble. The Egyptian residents were deeply impressed by the thoroughness of the team that had come from the farthest reaches of Asia to labor, covered in dust, in the rescue efforts. Below is a message of appreciation for the activities of the rescue team, received from Mr. Nadir, Director of Cairo's Fire Department.

"The Egyptians, as descendants of the Pharaohs, and the Japanese, as descendants of the Samurai, have long worked together to assist each other on a national and individual level. On this occasion as well, the Japanese government sent an international emergency assistance and rescue team, through JICA, to rescue victims from a collapsed building. While using their high technology equipment, the Japanese rescue team cooperated fully with the Egyptian side to achieve tremendous results. This is something that will never be forgotten, by me, the members of the Fire Department, or by the Egyptian people. We are deeply grateful to the Japanese government, to the Japan Disaster Relief Rescue Team, and to JICA."

Rescue operations by Japan Disaster Relief Rescue Team at the collapsed building.