SHARQIYA, Sept 2 (Aswat Masriya) – Nine people were killed on Tuesday as families visiting their newly-enrolled relatives at a military institute in Sharqiya overcrowded to access the institute.

The institute's administration closed all but one entrance door to the institute to be able to search the visitors, according to an eyewitness account. 

The eyewitness, the brother of a student at the institute, told Aswat Masriya the visit was the first in 21 days, which made the families eager to enter the institute, especially that the thorough search slowed down their entrance.

Belal Abu Khedra, head of the Sharqiya prosecution, said the prosecution ordered the burial of the nine people killed after confirming the lack of criminal evidence in the case.

Abu Khedra said investigation into the incident revealed that security forces guarding the institute fired warning shots into the air due to the large crowd at the door.

The incident left five people injured.

The prosecutor told Aswat Masriya that all the bodies of the deceased were examined; none of them suffered from gunshot wounds. He added that most of the dead were elderly people and children.