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3 killed by suffocation as thousands mourn Pope Shenouda III

20 March 2012 00:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Three people suffocated to death and 137 others got injured as thousands of Egyptian Copts flooded outside the cathedral where the body of late Pope Shenouda III lies, Deputy Health Minister Hesham Shiha said on Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The Copts swarmed in front of the Coptic Cathedral in Abbassiya district of Cairo to express their respect for the late Pope, official news agency MENA quoted the minister as saying.

65 of the injured were referred to hospitals while the 72 others were treated on the spot, Shiha added.

Shenouda III died at the age of 89 on Saturday after suffering lung and liver problems for a long time.

The Coptic Orthodox Church said the funeral prayer for the pope would be held on Tuesday and his body will be buried in Saint Anba Bishoy monastery, northeast of Cairo.