Egyptian officer who ran over family of five sent to military court

A mother of three died in the incident, which has been met with widespread outrage after security footage was shared on social media

A view of vehicles and pedestrians at a street market in Attaba Square in the centre of Egypt's capital Cairo. AFP

An Egyptian military officer who ran over a family of five, killing the mother and injuring the father and three children, has been detained by the Armed Forces pending an investigation into the matter.

A statement from the armed forces’ spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the officer has been charged with “deliberate murder” and is being referred to a military criminal court.

The incident, which took place on Sunday inside a gated community east of Cairo and filmed by a neighbour's security camera, has been the top trending topic on Egyptian social media channels since it happened.

The video shows the officer in a luxury Mercedes approaching the family’s driveway.

The car then disappears into the driveway and after a few minutes emerges out of it showing signs of damage to its body.

The dead mother was identified as an Egyptian pharmacist named Basma Hassanein, who was working in Kuwait and was on a visit to Egypt for Eid Al Adha.

The Egyptian pharmacists’ union on Monday offered its condolences to the family in a statement.

The incident was met with overwhelming outrage from the public, millions of whom called on social media for more justice.

On Monday, Egypt's Interior Ministry issued the government’s first public statement on the incident.

It said the accused was not an Interior Ministry official, denying a rumour that began in the hours after the incident.