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| Tunisia resort gun attack: British tourists among the dead | Tunisia resort gun attack: British tourists among the dead |
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| At least five British tourists are among 39 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. | At least five British tourists are among 39 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”. | 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 that those killed included Britons, Tunisians, Germans and Belgians. The country’s foreign ministry said that among the 36 wounded, there were 11 Britons, three Belgians and a German, with the rest being Tunisians or of unknown nationality. | Tunisia’s health ministry said that those killed included Britons, Tunisians, Germans and Belgians. The country’s foreign ministry said that among the 36 wounded, there were 11 Britons, three Belgians and a German, with the rest being Tunisians or of unknown nationality. |
| The survivors of the attack were being flown back to Britain early Saturday morning. They were due to land at Gatwick, Doncaster and Manchester airports early this morning. Eight of the wounded were in critical condition according to the Tunisian health minister Said Aidi. The bodies of the dead had been moved to Tunis, Aidi said. | The survivors of the attack were being flown back to Britain early Saturday morning. They were due to land at Gatwick, Doncaster and Manchester airports early this morning. Eight of the wounded were in critical condition according to the Tunisian health minister Said Aidi. The bodies of the dead had been moved to Tunis, Aidi said. |
| By midnight several hundred tourists had gathered in the foyer of the Riu Marhaba hotel where the attack took place under the lights of chandeliers. | By midnight several hundred tourists had gathered in the foyer of the Riu Marhaba hotel where the attack took place under the lights of chandeliers. |
| One woman in a red shirt sat crying on a sofa, her suitcase next to her. There were other groups hugging each other, and many sought out Tunisian staff to say goodbye. British embassy officials moved among the tourists. | One woman in a red shirt sat crying on a sofa, her suitcase next to her. There were other groups hugging each other, and many sought out Tunisian staff to say goodbye. British embassy officials moved among the tourists. |
| A foreign ministry official said it had been hard to confirm the identity and nationality of all of the dead people. 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 people. Most had been on the beach and not carrying documents that could help identify them. |
| 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. | 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. |
| One of the dead was an Irish woman who was named as Lorna Carty, a nurse and mother of two from Co Meath. She had been in the resort with her husband Declan who had recently undergone heart surgery. It is understood the couple were given the holiday as a present from a family member to help with his recuperation. | One of the dead was an Irish woman who was named as Lorna Carty, a nurse and mother of two from Co Meath. She had been in the resort with her husband Declan who had recently undergone heart surgery. It is understood the couple were given the holiday as a present from a family member to help with his recuperation. |
| Ray Butler, a parliamentarian with the main party in the ruling Irish coalition, Fine Gael, confirmed he had spoken to the husband of the murdered woman. | Ray Butler, a parliamentarian with the main party in the ruling Irish coalition, Fine Gael, confirmed he had spoken to the husband of the murdered woman. |
| “This was the hardest phone call I’ve ever taken. My heart goes out to the family who are enduring unthinkable grief,” Butler said. | “This was the hardest phone call I’ve ever taken. My heart goes out to the family who are enduring unthinkable grief,” Butler said. |
| “He [Declan Carty] is absolutely distraught,” Butler said. Charles Flanagan, the Irish foreign minister, confirmed that an Irish citizen had been killed. | “He [Declan Carty] is absolutely distraught,” Butler said. Charles Flanagan, the Irish foreign minister, confirmed that an Irish citizen had been killed. |
| A family friend said the couple were due to leave Tunisia to return to Ireland just hours after the massacre. “They went out (to Sousse) last Friday and they were due home tonight,” said the friend. | A family friend said the couple were due to leave Tunisia to return to Ireland just hours after the massacre. “They went out (to Sousse) last Friday and they were due home tonight,” said the friend. |
| 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. | 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 Foreign Office and local authorities.” | “We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with the Foreign Office and local authorities.” |
| It is believed there are scores of Irish holidaymakers in Sousse. Dublin’s foreign affairs department could not immediately confirm the number of citizens in the resort. | It is believed there are scores of Irish holidaymakers in Sousse. Dublin’s foreign affairs department 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. So we are actually trapped in our room.” | “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.” |
| Speaking after he chaired a meeting of the UK government’s crisis committee Cobra in London, Hammond said: “The situation on the ground is still somewhat confused and we can’t be sure exactly how many [victims there are], but because of the nature of the composition of the tourist population in this part of Tunisia we have to assume that a high proportion of those killed and injured will have been British. | Speaking after he chaired a meeting of the UK government’s crisis committee Cobra in London, Hammond said: “The situation on the ground is still somewhat confused and we can’t be sure exactly how many [victims there are], but because of the nature of the composition of the tourist population in this part of Tunisia we have to assume that a high proportion of those killed and injured will have been British. |
| “We have had reports from families of those involved in the incident that allow us to confirm that at least five Britons have been killed in this incident, but I should warn that we must expect that there will be more reports of fatalities as we establish the detail on the ground.” | “We have had reports from families of those involved in the incident that allow us to confirm that at least five Britons have been killed in this incident, but I should warn that we must expect that there will be more reports of fatalities as we establish the detail on the ground.” |
| The Foreign Office said it was urgently working with travel firms in Tunisia “to gather and confirm information on those affected by this attack”, and had despatched a British embassy team to the site of the atrocity. | The Foreign Office said it was urgently working with travel firms in Tunisia “to gather and confirm information on those affected by this attack”, and had despatched a British embassy team to the site of the atrocity. |
| Assistant commissioner Helen Ball, the Metropolitan police’s senior national coordinator of counter-terrorism investigations, said the force would be providing trained liaison officers to support the families of those killed, and stressed that “the threat to the UK from international terrorism remains at severe”. | Assistant commissioner Helen Ball, the Metropolitan police’s senior national coordinator of counter-terrorism investigations, said the force would be providing trained liaison officers to support the families of those killed, and stressed that “the threat to the UK from international terrorism remains at severe”. |