Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, suffered burns to their
face, chest and hands after the deadly substance was thrown at them by
two men on a moped
17.36 pm
Tanzanian website The Daily News has speculated that the acid attack
could be followed up with a series of planned demonstrations as part of a
deliberate effort to force the government to release 10 Muslim leaders
still in jail.
The latest incident follows a series of attacks on
religious figures - both Catholic and Muslim - in Zanzibar during the
past year.
17.24 pm
The Jewish Chronicle say Kirstie Trup had been a pupil at the Jewish
free school in Harrow, north west London until this summer, while Katie
Gee attended the independent day school Francis Holland in Sloane
Square.
The girls, who both have Jewish roots, went on a
month-long tour of Israel in 2011 organised by the Federation of Zionist
Youth (FZY).
17.12 pm
Zanzibar's Police Commissioner Musa Ali Musa has told the BBC that
there is "no prime suspect" for the attack on the two British
18-year-olds.
He said that a lot of people had been questioned and
information gathered but no-one had been arrested or charged and
investigations are continuing.
He also said the horrific incident was "alien" to the police and the country.
17.06 pm
Flowers were delivered to the home of Kirstie Trup
Flowers and cards from friends, family and well-wishers are being delivered to the homes of the 18-year-old victims.
The girls, who are best friends, both live in the wealthy Hampstead area of north London.
16.54 pm
The two acid attack victims, Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee arrive at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
The girls' injuries are currently being assessed by experts
at the specialist burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after
being transferred there from RAF Northolt.
Security staff at the
London hospital have been trying to keep the press back to ensure the
girls get the best possible treatment.
16.48 pm
On its website, Unesco describes Stone Town, the area of Zanzibar
City where Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup were pounced upon by two men on a
motorbike, as an area of great cultural importance.
Its blurb reads: "The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa.
"It
retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains
many fine buildings that reflect its particular culture, which has
brought together and homogenized disparate elements of the cultures of
Africa, the Arab region, India, and Europe over more than a millennium."
16.35 pm
Volunteers due to arrive in Zanzibar this weekend with i-to-i Travel,
the gap year firm with which Kirstie and Katie traveled with, have been
given the opportunity to choose a different destination.
A
statement released by the company this afternoon said: "i-to-i Travel
can now confirm that our customers were repatriated to the UK earlier
this afternoon to RAF Northolt in west London and have been transferred
to a London hospital for further treatment.
"We welcome the proactive investigations being carried out by local authorities in Zanzibar and continue to liaise with them.
"We
have been in contact with all of our customers who remain in Zanzibar
and provided them all with a copy of our recommended safety measures
from their pre-tour safety guide and advised them to remain vigilant
during the remainder of their stay.
"We also recommend they refer to the FCO advice.
"Customers
due to arrive into Zanzibar this weekend have been given the option to
volunteer at an alternative project and all have chosen to continue to
travel to Tanzania."
16.15 pm
Lonely Planet author, David Else, has added his advice for anyone planning to visit Zanzibar.
"As we don’t know the motive for the attack, we can't speculate on this particular incident," he said.
"Unfortunately, as with everywhere in the world, crime can happen.
"Our
general safety advice to anyone travelling or working in a destination
that they’re unfamiliar with is to do some research into the culture,
customs and dangers before they visit.
"We also encourage all
travellers to take sensible precautions such as not walking alone at
night, concealing valuables, not leaving drinks unattended and finding
out about crimes and scams against tourists in the local area."
15.45 pm
Two British teenagers who had acid thrown at them in an unprovoked
attack in Zanzibar have been reunited with their families after arriving
back in the UK.
Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, landed at
RAF Northolt in London this afternoon on board a specially chartered
medevac flight.
The girls, from London, were flown out of Tanzania last night after being treated for their wounds in Dar es Salaam.
15.32 pm
As the girls arrive back in Britain, the Daily Mirror's Travel
Editor Nigel Thompson has advised British holidaymakers that it is
still safe to travel to Zanzibar.
"I'd say no reason not to go to
what is normally a safe, exciting, exotic destination with great beaches
and some fascinating history, but do check the latest fco travel
guidelines.
"And always remember you're in a Muslim dominated
place and behave appropriately and dress respectfully as clothes we
perceive as normal holiday wear may well cause offence and appear
disrespectful and immodest in some locals' opinion."
15.12 pm
A family friend who claimed to have spoken to Kirstie and Katie
during a stopover in Egypt on their return journey to Britain told the
Standard: "They seemed okay.
"They were pleased to be coming home.
"They are as well as can be expected. Katie is on pain relief.''
14.50 pm
Katie Gee's mother, Nicky Gee, 45, has been speaking this afternoon about how happy she is that her daughter is back in Britain.
"I am just glad she is home," she told the Evening Standard this afternoon.
"It has been a terrible ordeal for the families."
14.40 pm
The plane carrying the two British girls, Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, who were attacked with acid
The first pictures of the two acid attack victims landing back in Britain have emerged.
The flight arrived at RAF Northolt at lunchtime and the girls were immediately taken by ambulance to hospital.
Their families remain by their side having traveled to Zanzibar to be with them following the attack.
14.40 pm
A senior Muslim imam, who was disfigured in an acid attack in
November, has told the Telegraph that Uamsho or its followers are to
blame for the horrific assault on the British teenagers.
“Of
course this attack on the tourists was Uamsho,” said Sheikh Fadhil
Soraga, a moderate Muslim cleric who suffered extensive burns to his
face and hands.
“Just 10 days ago they were saying they were planning something. This attack, which all Muslims must condemn, is their work.”
14.33 pm
Radical islamic group Uamsho have emerged as a possible inspiration for the attack on the two British teenagers in Zanzibar.
The organisation's leaders want to introduce strict dress codes for women including tourists and restrict alcohol sale.
Only two weeks ago they dropped a series of anti-Christian leaflets dropped around Zanzibar.
One of their stated aims is to remove the islands of the Zanzibar archipelago from mainland Tanzania's rule.
14.25 pm
General view of Zanzibar Police Station where people are currently being questioned in connection with the acid attack
This is the police station where the suspects are currently being questioned over the acid attack on Katie and Kirstie.
Five
men were initially detained in connection with the unprovoked assault,
and reports have suggested two of them are undergoing more detailed
interrogation.
A reward of almost £4,000 has been offered for
information leading to the capture of the acid attackers, Zanzibar
police have revealed.
14.12 pm
Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup have now arrived back in Britain, and are on their way to a specialist burns unit for treatment.
Their plane landed at RAF Northolt at lunchtime and the pair were taken away in two ambulances.
Surgeons
will now treat their wounds and attempt to assess the long-term damage
before the teenagers return to their north London homes.
13.59 pm
Tanzania’s Tourism Minister, Said Ali Mbarouk, responded to the acid
attack by pleading with his countrymen not to engage in violence,
especially against tourists.
“I beg our nationals, this is not something they should be doing," he said.
"Tourism
is the strongest pillar of our economy, so if we do such acts we are
killing our economy and our livelihoods in general.
"So it is not an honourable thing to do, it’s a bad thing and it should be condemned by all citizens of Zanzibar.”
13.40pm
Zanzibar is a popular destination for holidaymakers looking to combine luxury with a bit of adventure.
A
blurb on the holiday website Thomson Tailormade says: "Zanzibar hotels
are the ultimate exotic retreat, on the famous 'Spice Islands' off
Tanzania's coast.
"Zanzibar holidays boast some of the world's
best diving amongst rainbow coral reefs, the quaint customs and cuisine
of the Swahili people, and the Indian Ocean's spotless beaches.
"On
holidays to Zanzibar, unwind poolside at the beachfront hotels in
Zanzibar, before embarking on a Safari adventure in Tanzania."
13.14pm
Extremist violence in Zanzibar has seen a number of religious figures - both Muslim and Catholic - attacked in the past year.
In November last year a Muslim cleric had acid thrown over him.
The following month a Catholic priest was shot and wounded.
And in February another priest was shot dead.
13.01pm
Marc Trup, father of Kirstie, said his daughter and her best friend
had been warned not to wear anything that gave away their Jewish
background, including the Star of David, while working as volunteer
teachers in Zanzibar.
"We know it's a Muslim country," he told the Guardian.
"They were western girls. Unfortunately they went out during the month of Ramadan.
"There has been a huge alert in African countries with potential threats. Maybe it's connected, maybe not."
12.53pm
A picture has emerged showing acid burn injuries to one of the girls.
12.41pm
Despite suggestions that extremism has been on the rise in Zanzibar
in recent months, police say this is the first time foreigners have been
targeted.
They hope the £4,000 reward will help lead to the prosecution of the men who threw acid over Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup.
12.38pm
Photos have emerged showing the "absolutely horrendous" injuries
suffered by two British teenage girls who were attacked with acid in
Zanzibar.
Relatives of 18-year-olds Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup
have been left "devastated" after their daughters suffered severe burns
in the unprovoked assault.
Katie's father Jeremy Gee said: "We are absolutely devastated. The photographs that I have seen are absolutely horrendous."
12.30pm
Footage of Katie Gee, one of the two British girls injured in an acid attack in Zanzibar
Katie Gee's injuries are believed to be more serious than her friend Kirstie Trup's.
Her father Jeremy today described her wounds as "absolutely horrendous" and "beyond imagination".
Their full extent will only become clear once she is taken to hospital after she arrives home in London today.
12.19pm
Sheikh Ponda Issa was arrested in October last year for stoking religious hatred in Tanzania.
The
controversial cleric was detained after Muslim protesters vandalised
and torched five churches in Tanzania's capital city, Dar es Salaam.
The violence followed rumours that a Christian boy urinated on a Koran.
12.19pm
The Mail are reporting that police have issued a warrant for the
arrest of Tanzanian cleric Sheikh Issa Ponda Issa amid suggestions his
radical teachings may have inspired the attack on Kirstie and Katie.
Friends
of the girls have also suggested they may have been targeted because
they are Jewish, adding to the theory that extremists may be responsible
for the crime.
12.08pm
The Foreign Office travel advice for Tanzania warns that although
most visits to the country are trouble-free, "violent and armed crime is
increasing".
The advice, available on its website, says:
"Mugging, bag snatching (especially from passing cars) and robbery have
increased throughout the country."
11.57am
The family home of Kirstie Trup, one of the two British
teenager women that were burned in an acid attack while volunteering to
teach children in Zanzibar
This is the family home Kirstie Trup is due to arrive back to today after her ordeal with her best friend Katie Gee in Zanzibar.
The
girls' trip had been organised by i-to-i Travel, which is based in
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and runs gap year trips to parts of Africa, Asia,
central and South America and Australia.
11.46am
The motive for the acid attack remains unclear today, with confusing reports emerging from Zanzibar.
Some
media outlets have suggested that one of the two men held by police for
extended questioning was a local shopkeeper who had been in an
altercation with one of the girls a few days before.
But Sky News
Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said some eyewitnesses had
indicated that the acid was not intended for the British teenagers but
someone else walking down the road.
11.30am
Mr Ismail said the girls were two of 15 foreign nationals working
with 'Art in Tanzania' at drug rehabilitation centres in Zanzibar and
teaching at the St. Monica school.
Mr. Ismail said all the
volunteers - from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, are
now scared and want to flee the country.
"The incident has really
disturbed them and we are trying to talk to them, to plead to them to
stay on as authorities try to capture the culprits."
11.28am
Bashir Ismail, a colleague of the girls at 'Art In Tanzania', said
eye witnesses had revealed that Kirstie and Katie were specifically
targeted, even though lots of other tourists were around.
"The
two attackers who were on a motorbike passed over all other foreigners
and went and splashed the corrosive liquid on our two dear colleagues,"
he is reported as saying in Africa Review.
He also insisted the
British girls could not have done anything to offend the sensibilities
of the locals, majority of whom are Muslims.
"They were dressed casually but respectfully in jeans trousers," he said. "Many foreigners in Zanzibar dress that way."
11.14am
There have been conflicting reports about the extent of the burns injuries suffered by Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup.
Some
media outlets have suggested the girls would suffer no long-term
scarring, but Katie’s dad Jeremy has said the girls will be taken
straight to hospital where consultants and surgeons are waiting once
they arrive in Britain today.
Picture of one of the girls' injuries suggests the damage will take time to heal.
11.04am
A reward of 10m Tanzanian shillings, equivalent to £3,971, has been
offered for information leading to the capture of the acid attackers,
Zanzibar police have revealed.
The island's government is putting up the reward money, which will be considered a small fortune in the country.
10.53am
Sky News are reporting that of the five men questioned by police in
Zanzibar, two have been detained for further interrogation over the acid
attack on two British girls.
Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup were
targeted at 7.45pm on Wednesday as they walked back to their hotel
through the Stone Town area of the capital Zanzibar City.
10.40am
Footage of Katie Gee, one of the two British girls injured in an acid attack in Zanzibar
Pictures have emerged of one of the victims, Katie Gee, being comforted by her family upon their arrival in Zanzibar.
The
girls are believed to have boarded a flight out of the east African
country last night and should arrive in Britain later today.
They are both from north London.
10.27am
Police investigating an acid attack on two British teenagers in
Zanzibar are reportedly questioning five suspects as the victims fly
home to be with their families.
The men were detained last night
in connection with the attack, which left Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee
with scorch burns on their faces, chests, backs and hands.
Read the full story here
10.02am
A British tourist who was among a group who tried to hose the victims
down in a restaurant toilet after the acid attack said he was unsure if
the girls were joking around.
The man, who gave his name as Sam,
told the BBC: "We heard screaming that sounded like it could be
something bad or it could be people messing around.
"And it
sounded like... not panicky screaming, so at first it [made the] hair at
the back of your neck stand up and then it was completely fine.
"And then maybe 15 seconds later there was a sort of bigger scream."
9.38am
Last picture of Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee before they left for Tanzania
This is the last picture taken of Kirstie and Katie shortly before they left for Tanzania.
The girls were working as volunteer teachers as part of the Art In Tanzania project.
9.19am
Footage emerged yesterday showing the shellshocked girls arriving in Dar es Salaam.
Kirstie, shown wrapped in a blanket, steps out of a 4x4 and is ushered into the hospital by medical staff.
Katie can been seen in the back of the vehicle, visibly in pain and being comforted by a male friend.
9.08am
Five men are believed to have been questioned by police over the attack, the Telegraph reported.
“There
are five people we have, all men, who we are interrogating over this
matter this morning,” said Mkadam Khamis, regional police commissioner
in Zanzibar.
“They have not yet been arrested. They are
cooperating and answering our questions. Later today maybe there will be
a development legally.”
The men were understood to have been questioned at the regional investigations office at Zanzibar’s police headquarters.
One is believed to be a shopkeeper who the girls had an argument with earlier in the week.
9.00am
Zanzibar lies about 22 miles off the coast of Tanzania.
Predominantly Muslim, the semi-autonomous region has witnessed religious violence in recent years.
A Catholic priest was shot dead in February and a cleric targeted in an acid attack last November.
Away
from tourist beaches, there are signs asking people to cover up in case
skimpy outfits cause upset. However, most islanders depend on tourism
for their livelihoods.
The Foreign Office warns that although most
visits to Tanzania and Zanzibar are trouble-free, “violent and armed
crime is increasing”. About 75,000 Brits visit each year.
8.52am
It was also revealed that Katie had been attacked once before during the trip.
She tweeted on July 24: “A Muslim woman just hit me in the street for singing on Ramadan. Is that normal?”
Police
are so far refusing to link the acid attack to rising tensions between
the predominately Muslim population and Christian minority.
Pal Oli Cohen, 21, said: "Katie was attacked two weeks ago by a Muslim woman for singing during Ramadan.
"She
was shocked as it just came from out of the blue - but she wasn't
scared enough to come home. She stayed out there to finish her trip and
volunteering."
8.48am
Kirstie called her mum, Rochelle, after the attack and told her: “I’m scared and I want to come home.”
Rochelle, 49, said: “She was very, very shaken and in shock. They don’t have a clue why someone would do this.
"They’re just two gorgeous, beautiful girls who went out there to try to help children.
“It was a trip they had planned after working hard for their A-levels, before they both went off to university.
"Until
the attack they were having the time of their lives. They loved the
country, the people – it was an amazing adventure for them.”
8.43am
Relatives last night told of their horror following the unprovoked attack.
Speaking
outside the family home in Hampstead, North London, Katie’s dad Jeremy
said: “I spoke to her about three hours after the incident and again
about an hour-and-a-half ago.
“We are absolutely devastated. The photographs that I have seen are absolutely horrendous.
"The level of the burns are beyond imagination unless you see the photographs yourself.”
He
added: “The girls are expected back on Friday morning when they will be
taken straight to hospital where consultants and surgeons are waiting.”
Katie’s distraught mum Nicky added: “Her whole face and body is burnt.”
8.37am
The best pals had been working as volunteer teachers at an orphanage
and were targeted at 7.45pm on Wednesday as they walked back to their
hotel through the Stone Town area of the capital Zanzibar City.
Suddenly
two men on a moped roared up alongside them on the narrow lane and
hurled acid at them, scorching their faces, chests, backs and hands.
The girls were immediately flown by helicopter to hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for emergency treatment.
Katie and Kirstie were being flown home last night on a medevac flight from Dar es Salaam.
8.30am
The two teenage victims of the horrific acid attack in Zanzibar will arrive home in the UK this morning.
Volunteer
teachers Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, are recovering after
having the deadly substance thrown in their faces in the horrific
assault on Wednesday night.
Police have launched a manhunt for two
men on a moped after the girls, from north London, suffered burns to
their faces, chest and hands.
We will continue to bring you live news and updates throughout the day.
