UN discusses Egyptian crisis as death toll rises

The UN Security Council was meeting last night to discuss the situation in Egypt after hundreds of people were killed and thousands wounded when troops and police crushed protests seeking the return of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

The Security Council was briefed behind closed doors by UN deputy secretary general Jan Eliasson at 9.30pm. The meeting was jointly requested by council members France, Britain and Australia

The move came as the Egyptian Health Ministry raised the death toll from the day’s violence that followed a crackdown on two camps housing supporters of the ousted president to 638.