Michael's Mind

An Egyptian helicopter flew Arafat's coffin from Egypt, where a funeral service was held, to his Muqata headquarters in Ramallah. The aircraft was quickly engulfed by a surging crowd of thousands chanting Arafat's name.

Firing into the air, Palestinian security men struggled to remove the coffin from the aircraft and then held on to it tight as they placed it on a vehicle that plied its way through a dense throng of weeping mourners.

At least nine Palestinians were wounded by shots fired by the security forces or gunmen. Medics said hundreds were treated after fainting or for minor injuries during the crush.

Arafat's body had been due to lie in state ahead of burial, but a Palestinian official said it was taken directly to the tree-shaded tomb instead.

"He was buried ahead of time because of the emotion of the crowd. We had no choice," one official told Reuters.