CAIRO, Feb 10 (Aswat Masriya) – A group of 16 local rights groups and NGOs said they "hold the ministry of interior responsible" for the deadly encounter that broke out on Sunday night ahead of a football game in Cairo.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the groups said the ministry's "crimes and violations" are driving the country toward collapse and are making any "political and economic stability impossible."

They warned that the ministry's "pattern of crime" will lead toward counter-violence and "terrorism", adding that it raises the chances of Egyptians being recruited in "terrorist organisations inside and outside Egypt."   

The statement comes two days after at least 19 people were killed outside a football stadium where Zamalek and Enppi football clubs played against each other. The Interior Ministry said large numbers of fans attempted to storm the stadium, adding that security forces responded by trying to prevent assaults on stadium facilities.    

However, "Ultras White Knights" group, which supports Zamalek club, said on its Facebook page that the police "initiated firing teargas towards fans."

The NGOs' statement said the way police forces handled this incident shows their "disregard for the right to life." The groups added that this was part of a pattern and not an isolated incident, adding that security forces have been resorting to "unjustified violence" since 2011.  

The rights groups and NGOs, which include the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said that "the policy of impunity" is among the main reasons behind the continued deaths and injuries.    

A group of 21 individuals were detained and are being investigated for the violence that took place earlier this week.

A preliminary medical report by Egypt's Forensic Authority said on Monday that the 19 people killed died due to a stampede.