Egypt’s Cabinet to pay EGP100,000 for families of stadium disaster

Egypt’s Cabinet approved on Wednesday a request by the ministry of youth and sports to give the families of the victims of the Cairo Air Defence Stadium disaster EGP 100,000 each (around $13, 000).

This is the first decision by Egypt’s government to pay any compensation to victims.

On 9 February, 20 Zamalek Ultras White Knights (UWK) members died as police dispersed large crowds attempting to make their way to attend a football match in the Egyptian Premier League.

Police claim they died due to stampede, while Ultras White Knights disputed the police’s account, saying they were tear-gassed as they scrambled to enter the stadium, where they were only able to get through a “tiny metal fence surrounded by barbed wire.”

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the police didn’t start dispersing the crowd using water cannons, which is the standard procedure according to the protest law, and instead used teargas.

Investigations are still ongoing.

Source: Ahram Online