CAIRO: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the UAR died of heart attack in Cairo this afternoon [Sept 28]. After Cairo Radio had carried a reading from the Holy Quran for 30 minutes, Vice-President Anwar Sadat announced that the president had died at 6-15p.m. (8-15p.m. WPST).

Mr Sadat announced that the 52-year-old President experienced the first symptoms of the attack at 3-15p.m. (1215 GMT) as he was returning home from the ceremonies marking the end of the Arab summit talks on the Jordan crisis. …

Stunned and disbelieving, the crowds had grown in the streets on hearing the news. — Agency

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Washington,] News of President Nasser’s death today [Sept 28] was received with shock by US officials. The President, who had towered over the Arab world like a Colossus for 18 years, died after accomplishing another of the astonishing series of diplomatic successes which he plucked from the jaws of the impossible — persuading King Hussein of Jordan and Palestinian resistance chief Mr Yasser Arafat to sign a peace agreement after nine days of savage fighting. …

Mr Nasser’s funeral will be held on ... Oct 1, it was announced. His body was to be moved tonight from his residence to the Government Palace in Cairo.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2020