CAIRO: The Ministry of Health denied Wednesday that the death toll from the Port Said massacre had increased, contrary to what was reported by members of Al-Ahly fans, Ultras Ahlawy, and families of the victims.
"The accurate number we have of the corpses that were transferred to Cairo by military airplanes and ambulances is 71," said Hesham Sheha, spokesman of the Ministry of Health for therapeutic and emergency affairs.
According to Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, Essam El-Said, uncle of Port Said martyr Moustafa Ahmed Aboud, was surprised to find that his nephew’s burial permit, which he obtained from Zeinhoum morgue, was numbered 179.
The newspaper reported that this indicates a higher death toll than the 71 officially announced.
The official number that has been reported so far is 74 dead and 318 injured. However, according to Sheha, the difference between 71 and 74 is due to the presence of three corpses at the Port Said hospital prior to the arrival of victims from the stadium.
Football fans of Port Said’s Al-Masry attacked Ahly fans in a league match on Wednesday Feb. 1. The parliament blamed the police for negligence and even complicity.
"The death certificates are numbered according to a serial number that indicates certain things to the morgue and the forensics department. However, it isn’t tied to certain events or a specific incident," Sheha told Daily News Egypt.
Sheha inquired further about this issue when news of a higher death toll began circulating. "I talked to the head of the health directorate at Port Said Wednesday morning and he confirmed the official number," he said.
Sheha said that 51 corpses were transferred by military planes, 19 were transferred by ambulances while one was found at Port Said’s military hospital.
"We have no interest in hiding corpses or numbers, and if someone is missing at the events his family should inform the prosecution," he said.
