Egypt erupts with joy at Mubarak's ouster

Astonished and elated Egyptians poured into the streets across their nation on Friday, dancing, cheering and crying as they celebrated the long-awaited ouster of president Hosni Mubarak. --PHOTO: AFP

CAIRO - ASTONISHED and elated Egyptians poured into the streets across their nation on Friday, dancing, cheering and crying as they celebrated the long-awaited ouster of president Hosni Mubarak.

A wave of joy swept across the country, with people rushing from their homes and offices to join the spontaneous street party, an expression of nationwide relief at the collapse of the only regime many Egyptians have ever known.

People called friends and clutched strangers to offer their congratulations at the end of the strongman's 30-year rule.

In the minutes after the announcement was made, cars sped across the bridges crossing the river Nile, honking their horns in celebration, their drivers leaning out of windows to spread the news.

In Cairo, people flooded towards the city's central Tahrir Square, the epicentre for 18 days of protests against Mr Mubarak's regime. Inside, people could barely move except to clap along to chants, sing the national anthem, and lift their camera phones to snap pictures of fireworks shooting into the air over the crowd.

It was the party they had been promised a day earlier, when hundreds of thousands had gathered in Tahrir Square to hear Mr Mubarak deliver an address that was expected to be his resignation speech. Instead, he announced he would transfer some powers to his vice president but remain in office, prompting fury among the demonstrators. -- AFP