South Africa launches murder probe after safari tourist deaths
Police in South Africa have launched a murder investigation after two safari tourists were found dead in the renowned Kruger National Park, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.The bodies of a 71-year-old man and a woman whose identity is still being established, were found on Friday with serious injuries to the upper body in the north of the park, according to the Limpopo Provincial Police. Both were South African citizens, the National Parks Authority told dpa.According to reports, the two visitors had been in the national park since Sunday and were last seen on Wednesday at the Pafuri picnic site in the far north of the park.There, the park borders the neighbouring countries of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. When the couple failed to return, a search was launched.Other tourists discovered the bodies on Friday afternoon on the banks of a nearby river."Preliminary investigations revealed that the man sustained stab wounds to the upper body, while the woman also suffered severe wounds to the upper body allegedly inflicted with a sharp object," the police statement said.The vehicle used by the pair is still missing.The circumstances of the incident remain unclear, and the police have launched two investigations into murder and kidnapping.The South African National Parks Authority expressed shock and dismay in a statement. It is the first incident of its kind in the history of the national park, Forestry Minister Willie Aucamp said.The families have been informed and are being assisted with travel arrangements and the repatriation of the bodies.
