Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy Generator
5.8 C
Oslo
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tunisia travel cancelled after attack

The Norwegian division of travel company Detur has cancelled all of its package tours to Tunisia following Friday’s deadly attack on tourists at a Tunisian beach resort. Dozens were killed in the attack against several hotels in the city of Sousse.

Around 159 Norwegians were among the tourists on holiday in Tunisia, which was forced to cope with its second terrorist attack in the past few months. Tourism is a major industry for Tunisia, which seems exactly what the anti-secular terrorists are trying to ruin. The country has been on terror alert, since armed Islamists attacked the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March.

114 Norwegians in the attack area
None of the Norwegian tourists was staying at the hotels that were attacked, Levet Cetin of Detur told news bureau NTB. “We are in the process of trying to contact everyone, but as far as we know, none of the Norwegians were injured,” Cetin told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). Detur was using its contacts in Tunisia as well as sending text messages to all of its clients, to make sure they were safe.

Norway’s foreign ministry reported it had no indications either that any Norwegians were subjected to the attacks. Of the 159 Norwegian tourists in Tunisia, 114 are staying in the Sousse area. All were due to be traveling back to Norway as planned on Monday.

“We don’t plan to send more tourists to the area,” Cetin told website Nettavisen. Those who have paid for their trips will receive refunds, he said.

Told to get away from the beach
Didrik Danielsen, among the Norwegians staying in Sousse, told NRK that personnel at the hotel where he and his partner are staying came down to the beach and asked all guests to return to the hotel area.

“They said we had to get away from the beach and back to the hotel,” Danielsen told NRK. “When we got to the lobby, there were many people gathered there and a representative from (travel firm) Thomas Cook said there had been a terrorist attack and that several people had been killed.”

Among the hotels attacked was one adjacent to where Danielsen was staying, “but we haven’t seen or heard anything, it’s more than 100 meters from our hotel to where the attacks took place.” He said all the guests were told not to leave the hotel area, “and if we did, it would be at our own risk.”

Two other Norwegian tourists reported helicopters flying overhead and police stationed outside the hotels.

newsinenglish.no/Nina Berglund

LATEST STORIES

FOR THE RECORD

For more news on Arctic developments.

MOST READ THIS WEEK

Donate

If you like what we’re doing, please consider a donation. It’s easy using PayPal, or our Norway bank account. READ MORE