Egypt Crisis Deepens as Official Death toll Passes 500
By Staffwriter
At least 500 people are reported to be dead in Egypt, following a move by security forces to clear supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi, occupying protest camps in the capital, Cairo.
A state of emergency has been imposed by the interim government as deadly violence continued torock the country through Wednesday, with most of the victims reported dead in the capital.
Official death toll stands at 525 people, but final toll could be higher as scores of bodies have not been registered. Muslim Brotherhood party officials say more than 2000 people have died.
A spokesman for the health ministry said 525 people had been killed, while 3,717 others injured across Egypt in violent battles have erupted.
The Brotherhood party, supporters of Mr Morsi have been occupying Cairo’s Nahda Square and the Rabaa al-Adawiya sites since 3 July demanding he be reinstated, after he was ousted in a military-backed coup.
Earlier last week interior ministry had decreed that security forces would take necessary measures to break the sit-in protests. The Wednesday’s operation to clear protesters of the two camps turned violent as morsi’s supporters engaged security forces in battles in streets around Cairo.
The ministry has denied any deaths were caused by its forces using live ammunition, but accuses the protesters of using heavy arms on the security forces.
The US and several other international community members have condemned actions by the Egyptian security forces in using force.
US Secretary of State John Kerry termed the events as "deplorable", saying Egypt’s political reconciliation efforts had suffered a “serious blow”
"This is a pivotal moment for all Egyptians," he said. "The path toward violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster and suffering," Kerry said.
Office of the UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he regrets the action by Egyptian authorities to use force, while "the vast majority of the Egyptian people want their country to go forward peacefully in an Egyptian-led process towards prosperity and democracy".
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in her criticism of the violence said "only a concerted effort by all Egyptians and the international community might lead the country back on a path to inclusive democracy".
Muslim Brotherhood is reported to be planning a march to protest the death, which Turkish Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdoganhas described as a "very serious massacre".
At least 137 people are reported to be killed near Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque; 57 at Cairo's Nahda Square, 29 in Cairo suburb of Helwan, 198 in other provinces and 43 security personnel.
Among those who died include three journalists and a daughter of a Muslim Brotherhood leader, Asmaa El-Beltagi.