Rockslide rescue operations end.

23 Sep, 2008

Operations to clear the area devastated by the 6 September rockslide have come to an end amid uncertainty over the actual number of dead. An unnamed security official told the international news agency Associated Press that 103 bodies have been recovered, although local residents claim dozens of victims are still buried under the rubble. No survivors have been found since the day of the tragedy, when large boulders broke away from the steep Muqattam cliffs overlooking the shantytown of Manshiyet Nasser in eastern Cairo and crushed the houses below. Residents blame the rock fall on illegal digging on the top of the hill and have criticised the government for its handling of the rescue effort and failure to provide alternative accommodation for the homeless.