278 killed in Egypt unrest, including 43 police: ministry

CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's health ministry said 278 people had been killed in nationwide violence Wednesday after police cracked down on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

The largest toll was at the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest camp in Cairo, where an AFP correspondent counted 124 bodies. In contrast, health ministry spokesman Mohammed Fathallah said 61 people had died there.

Fathallah said 21 died at the Nahda Square camp in Cairo, 18 in Helwan south of the capital and the rest in several provinces.

In addition, 43 members of the police force were killed, he said.