This is the horrifying moment an armoured police vehicle was pushed off a bridge by protestors in Cairo today.

The van plunged off the 6th October Bridge before demonstrators attacked the wreckage. It is not known how many people were on board and how many people survived the fall, but bloodied men were seen lying around the van moments afterwards. Unconfirmed reports on Twitter claimed five were dead.

The dramatic pictures show the van being ambushed by dozens of people before crashing through a protective fence on the bridge. It then falls upside down and then rolls onto its roof as it lands. Blood can then be seen on the ground as nearby police officers pull injured men out of the crushed vehicle.

The police vehicle crashes through a fence as it is pushed off the 6th of October bridge in Cairo by protesters as violence in the capital escalated

The van, which was filled with security officers, plunged upside-down to the ground while men on the bridge waved their arms

Protests were continuing under the bridge as the vehicle crashed to the ground

This disturbing image circulated on Twitter shows troops swooping on the car wreck as injured officers lie on the ground

Debris and oil can be seen around the van as a member of the security forces inspects the damage while another lies on the ground

An amateur video posted on YouTube shows the van land amid chaotic scenes where hundreds of protestors were clashing with police below the bridge.

Dozens immediately run over the wreckage and continue to throw stones and missiles at the van while under fire from the security forces.

British Sky cameraman Mick Deane was shot and killed as he covered the clashes today

Egypt was warned tonight that ‘the world is watching’ after scores of people were killed in the Cairo massacre. At least 278 are said to be dead and hundreds more injured after a day of bloody violence sparked when security forces stormed a camp to clear protesters supporting deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

Witnesses said many of those killed were hit by snipers on surrounding rooftops. Heavily-armed police and troops reportedly opened fire with machine guns on thousands of demonstrators, including women and children.

As Egypt descended into bloody violence, videos were broadcast which purported to show burned corpses on streets which resembled a war zone. British TV cameraman Mr Deane, working for Sky, was among those killed in the escalating violence, which provoked global condemnation.

The United States lead urgent calls for restraint warning that ‘the world is watching.’ Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called on the U.N. Security Council and Arab League to take immediate steps to stop a ‘massacre’ in Egypt.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the violence is deplorable is a serious blow to reconciliation efforts, adding that it runs counter to Egyptians’ aspirations for peace.

He urged Egypt’s interim leaders to take a step back and calm the situation to avoid further deaths. He also said the U.S. strongly opposes a return to a state of emergency law and that should end as soon as possible.

David Cameron also condemned the violence, saying: ‘What is required in Egypt is a genuine transition to a genuine democracy. That means compromise from all sides – the President Morsi supporters but also the military – that’s what needs to happen.

‘We don’t support this violence, we condemn it completely, it’s not going to solve the problems.’

The Muslim Brotherhood claimed over 2,000 people had been killed and thousands wounded in eight hours of continuous firing while Egyptian authorities said Mr Morsi’s supporters opened fire on security forces.

The exact death toll could not be confirmed but an AFP reporter counted at least 124 bodies in three separate locations around the camp in the capital, with many appearing to have died from gunshot wounds.

Last night Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour declared a month-long state of emergency and night-time curfew in Cairo and ten provinces.
His vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, resigned in protest at the bloody crackdown.

The scale of today’s violence became apparent after graphic accounts of bloodshed emerged from the two protest camps in Cairo where pro-Morsi supporters demanded his reinstatement.

Emergency: Supporters of Morsi treat wounded men in Cairo. Violence spread across much of Egypt after police swept into two encampments of Morsi’s supporters

Read more: Daily Mail