Around 36 prisoners died when they tried to escape while they were getting transferred outside Cairo to another prison. The ministry was initially hesitant to declare the death of the Islamist prisoners. It was earlier declared that the prisoners were killed from gunfire.

The interim ministry claimed to be transporting 612 prisoners. They were being taken to Abu Zaabal which is a prison situated in the Qalyubia province. Unidentified gunmen were held responsible for the gunfire.

The Muslim Brotherhood believed that prisoners were killed merciless. According to them, it was simply a "cold-blooded" murder. The number of death reaches 830 at the least. The killings started Wednesday, Aug 14.

Later on, it was declared by the ministry that the prisoners were killed as they inhaled tear gas. The tear gas was fired because the prisoners tried to escape by taking an officer as hostage. Even though the police officer was freed later, he was severely injured; according to the military statement.

On the contrary, Reuters was informed by one legal source that the prisoners had suffocated to death in a jampacked police van. On the other hand, Associated Press talked to officials who kept themselves anonymous. It was informed that not every dead prisoner belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The chief of the armed forces in Egypt declared that everyone was welcome to stay in Egypt. Even Morsi supporters are allowed to live in the country. On the other hand, they were asked to review the national position of their own. However, he reconfirmed that the military was in no mood to tolerate any kind of unrest.

The general informed that they would not be a silent witness to the country's destruction. They were not going to allow anyone terrorising the people of the country. According to the interim Egyptian government, the Muslim Brotherhood should be held responsible for carrying terror campaign since Morsi had been overthrown July 3. They even called it a "coup".