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| Tunisia resort gun attack: British tourists among the dead | Tunisia resort gun attack: British tourists among the dead |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least five British tourists are among 37 people who have been killed in a gun attack at a Tunisian beach resort, the UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond has said. The Irish government said an Irish woman was also killed. | |
| The slaughter took place on the beach between the Soviva and Imperial Marhaba hotels in the town of Sousse – a popular destination for holidaymakers from the UK and Ireland. | The slaughter took place on the beach between the Soviva and Imperial Marhaba hotels in the town of Sousse – a popular destination for holidaymakers from the UK and Ireland. |
| Hammond warned that the death toll could rise and said a “high proportion” of the casualties were expected to be British “because of the nature of the resort”. | |
| Tunisia’s health ministry said earlier that those killed included Britons, Tunisians, Germans and Belgians. The country’s foreign ministry said that among the 36 wounded, there were eleven Britons, three Belgians and a German, with the rest being Tunisians or unknown nationality. | |
| A foreign ministry official said it had been hard to confirm the identity and nationality of all of the dead. Most had been on the beach and not carrying documents that could help identify them. | A foreign ministry official said it had been hard to confirm the identity and nationality of all of the dead. Most had been on the beach and not carrying documents that could help identify them. |
| “There are still some people we have not identified yet, but we are working on it,” a health official said, adding that his ministry hoped to make an announcement about the victims at 10pm. | “There are still some people we have not identified yet, but we are working on it,” a health official said, adding that his ministry hoped to make an announcement about the victims at 10pm. |
| Related: Tunisia attack: multiple deaths reported at beach resort – live updates | Related: Tunisia attack: multiple deaths reported at beach resort – live updates |
| In a statement, the Imperial Marhaba hotel said 565 guests were staying at the time of the attack, and that the majority of guests were “from the UK and other central European countries”. It said it was not possible to confirm the nationalities or any other details of the victims. | In a statement, the Imperial Marhaba hotel said 565 guests were staying at the time of the attack, and that the majority of guests were “from the UK and other central European countries”. It said it was not possible to confirm the nationalities or any other details of the victims. |
| In a statement, tour operator Thomas Cook said: “Thomas Cook has been advised of an incident that occurred earlier today in Sousse, Tunisia. At this time, details are not clear as to which property(ies) have been affected, with conflicting news reports. | In a statement, tour operator Thomas Cook said: “Thomas Cook has been advised of an incident that occurred earlier today in Sousse, Tunisia. At this time, details are not clear as to which property(ies) have been affected, with conflicting news reports. |
| “We are currently gathering information and will provide an update as soon as possible. Our teams on the ground are offering every support to our customers and their families in the area. | “We are currently gathering information and will provide an update as soon as possible. Our teams on the ground are offering every support to our customers and their families in the area. |
| “We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with the FCO and local authorities.” | “We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with the FCO and local authorities.” |
| It is believed there are scores of Irish holidaymakers in Sousse at the moment. Dublin’s Department of Foreign Affairs could not immediately confirm the number of citizens in the resort. | It is believed there are scores of Irish holidaymakers in Sousse at the moment. Dublin’s Department of Foreign Affairs could not immediately confirm the number of citizens in the resort. |
| “Our embassy in Madrid and our honorary consul in Tunis are monitoring the situation in Sousse, Tunisia, and are providing updates,” a spokeswoman said. | “Our embassy in Madrid and our honorary consul in Tunis are monitoring the situation in Sousse, Tunisia, and are providing updates,” a spokeswoman said. |
| Sousse is a city on the east coast of Tunisia, about 87 miles (140km) south of the capital, Tunis. About 1.2 million tourists visit Sousse every year, drawn by the hotels, sandy beaches and culture. Hotel complexes with 40,000 beds span the old city to the Port El Kantaoui and the city is home to a Unesco-protected mosque, as well as a historic medina. | Sousse is a city on the east coast of Tunisia, about 87 miles (140km) south of the capital, Tunis. About 1.2 million tourists visit Sousse every year, drawn by the hotels, sandy beaches and culture. Hotel complexes with 40,000 beds span the old city to the Port El Kantaoui and the city is home to a Unesco-protected mosque, as well as a historic medina. |
| Boujaafar beach stretches from the Gulf of Hammamet several miles north to Port El Kantaoui – a purpose-built resort with dozens of hotels including the El Mouradi Palm Marina, El Mouradi Palace and Riu Imperial Marhaba. | Boujaafar beach stretches from the Gulf of Hammamet several miles north to Port El Kantaoui – a purpose-built resort with dozens of hotels including the El Mouradi Palm Marina, El Mouradi Palace and Riu Imperial Marhaba. |
| Elizabeth O’Brien, an Irishwoman on holiday with her two sons in the resort, described how she grabbed her children and ran for their lives when they heard gunfire erupting from one of the hotels. | Elizabeth O’Brien, an Irishwoman on holiday with her two sons in the resort, described how she grabbed her children and ran for their lives when they heard gunfire erupting from one of the hotels. |
| “I thought ‘oh my God, it sounds like gunfire’, so I ran to the sea to my children and grabbed our things and as I was running towards the hotel, the waiters and the security on the beach started saying ‘run, run run!’ and we just ran to our room, which is like a little bungalow. | “I thought ‘oh my God, it sounds like gunfire’, so I ran to the sea to my children and grabbed our things and as I was running towards the hotel, the waiters and the security on the beach started saying ‘run, run run!’ and we just ran to our room, which is like a little bungalow. |
| “So we are actually trapped in our room.” | “So we are actually trapped in our room.” |