UN chief condemns crackdown in Egypt

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned a police crackdown on protesters in Egypt that he said had left hundreds dead and injured.

"In the aftermath of today's violence, the secretary-general urges all Egyptians to concentrate their efforts on promoting genuinely inclusive reconciliation," his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

Egyptian security forces stormed two huge protest camps occupied for weeks by supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

While the United Nations was still gathering information, Nesirky said "it appears that hundreds of people were killed or wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators."

An AFP correspondent counted at least 124 bodies in makeshift morgues.

"The Secretary General condemns in the strongest terms the violence today in Cairo that occurred when Egyptian security services used force to clear Cairo of sit-ins and demonstrations," his spokesman said.

Noting that Ban had called on all sides to reconsider their positions to prevent loss of life, Nesirky said the secretary general "regrets that Egyptian authorities chose instead to use force to respond to the ongoing demonstrations.

"He conveys his condolences to the families of those killed and his wishes for a full and speedy recovery to those injured," the spokesman said.