Wednesday, February 16, 2011

365 killed in Egyptian uprising, government says

By Ernesto LondoƱo
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, February 16, 2011; 1:19 PM

CAIRO - At least 365 people were killed and more than 5,500 were injured in the frenetic demonstrations that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian government said Wednesday.

Health Minister Sameh Farid said the toll could rise as authorities collect more information from hospitals, morgues and families that buried their loved ones soon after their deaths.

The numbers represent the first official toll following one of the deadliest periods in Egypt's recent history. They are roughly in line with estimates provided by Human Rights Watch in recent days.

Riot police deployed to quell riots opened fire on demonstrators early in the 18-day revolt, which began Jan. 25. As police retreated and Cairo and other Egyptian cities descended into near-anarchy, buildings were torched and vehicles were seen plowing into crowds.

In Cairo and some other parts of the country, anti-government demonstrators clashed with supporters of the embattled president.

The unrest prompted Mubarak to step down Friday. He ceded control of the country to the military chiefs, who have vowed to oversee a transition to democracy.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home