CAIRO: The death toll in the Duweiqa rockslide reached 69 as eight more bodies were discovered while the injured reached 58 as security forces cordoned off the disaster site Wednesday.
Only rescue workers with their heavy machinery were allowed onto the site, and central security forces fanned out around the area to prevent anyone from entering.
The Ministry of Health and the Cairo Governorate urged residents of the area to head to their nearest health clinic to receive vaccinations from infectious diseases that could be spread by the ruin and decay.
The governorate has already begun spraying pesticides on the site due to the infestation of insects attracted to the decaying bodies beneath the rubble.
Ambulance workers entering and exiting the site were wearing face masks as a preventative measure.
And while a sense of normality was somewhat restored to the surrounding area, the shock from the disaster turned into a palpable anger directed at security forces on the ground and the government at large.
Tensions between the residents and the security forces in the area are constant, as the residents believe security forces to be sluggish, inept and apathetic while security forces say residents are getting in the way of rescue efforts.
That was the reason for the cordon – which also applied to the media – but it did not prevent the tensions from boiling over.
At the cordon at the entrance to Duweiqa, an argument broke out between two police officers and a man entering the area. The man had taken offense to the police officers’ questions pertaining to his destination and their refusal to let him through thinking he was a journalist.
People gathered round the scene as the argument grew stronger and the man told the police officers, “people are dead, don’t make things worse. Residents surrounded the two officers berating them and one replied, “We are here to serve you, we are not here to make things difficult for you.
In a separate incident on the highway leading into Duweiqa, one resident shoved a policeman and evaded capture, then turned around and mocked him for giving up the chase.
The rockslide occurred Saturday morning, and the government’s inability to swiftly deal with the crisis has led to anger and criticism across the board. Residents have clashed with security officers at the scene over the past few days in protest at the inefficiency of response.
