Haya Fauzy: The Egyptian medical student who came to the rescue

Haya Amr Fawzy, an Egyptian medical student, became widely known after helping injured people during the Arabella Plaza Mall fire and explosion in New Cairo on August 13, 2026. Egyptian media have described her as the “heroine” of the Arabella Mall incident.

Who is Haya Amr Fawzy?

Fawzy is a third-year medical student at New Giza University’s Faculty of Medicine.

She happened to be at Arabella Plaza when the incident occurred. According to her account, she heard a friend screaming and realized that something serious had happened.

Rather than simply leaving, she began assessing and assisting injured people, using the first aid and emergency-response skills she had learned during medical school.

What did she actually do?

Her account is particularly striking.

After the explosion and fire, she saw people lying injured and blood on the ground. She tied her hair back and began helping. She said the gesture was instinctive because she wanted to concentrate on treating people.

One of the first people she approached had already died. She asked others nearby to cover the person’s body out of respect.

She then encountered another injured person who was bleeding. Rather than allowing people to move him, she reportedly told them not to do so because he could have fractures or internal bleeding. She waited for medical professionals to arrive.

She also tried to control the panic around her. In interviews, she described telling people not to push or stampede after hearing the explosion and directing them toward an area of the mall where doctors were available.

What is Shahada and Adan means?

One particularly human detail from her account was that she found a frightened injured man while someone nearby was encouraging him to recite the "shahada." Shahada is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and part of Adan (Islamic call to prayer). It reads: " I bear witness that there is not god but God, and I bear withness

Haya said she instead reassured the injured manthat he was going to be okay and that she would stay with him until his family arrived.

She said ambulances arrived roughly 10 minutes after the incident, meaning that, for a period of time, people at the scene had to provide assistance themselves.

What happened at Arabella Plaza?

The incident occurred at Arabella Plaza in New Cairo. Egyptian authorities reported that three people died and 17 were injured. Initial investigations attributed the fire to an explosion involving a helium cylinder inside a gift shop. Eight ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

There was also an initial wave of confusion surrounding reports that an elevator had fallen. However, subsequent reporting confirmed the casualty figures of three dead and 17 injured.

Why did she become famous?

A video showing Haya helping people circulated widely on Egyptian social media. She subsequently appeared on Egyptian television and explained what happened.

She has been described in Egyptian media as the “heroine” of the Arabella Mall incident.

Haya’s story illustrates that women can be heroes, too. Her actions at the scene are an example of courage, compassion, and the importance of knowing how to respond in an emergency. Her story can serve as an inspiration to others.

Caption for photo at bottom of article:  Egypt's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ayman Ashour, honored Haya for her conduct during the incident. Reporting today says she was specifically recognized for assisting the injured. The minister emphasized the importance of helping other people during crises, while her university stressed that medical students should serve as examples and develop leadership and emergency-response skills. X