Family robbed, shot in S Africa

Three Chinese tourists who were injured in a robbery in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday have been sent to a hospital and are all in stable condition.

The victims — a woman and her parents — were with a tour group organized by an agency in Liuzhou, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The group arrived at the Johannesburg Airport Holiday Inn Hotel on Saturday evening and planned to fly home the next day.

They were checking in when four gun-wielding assailants stormed into the hotel and robbed them of their suitcases and handbags. The mother suffered a head injury from a sandblasting gun, the father’s chest and legs were scratched by bullets, and the daughter’s head was slightly bruised as they tried to fight back.

The Liuzhou Tourism Development Commission has asked the tourism agency to treat the injured tourists and seek help from the Chinese embassy in South Africa. So far, the agent has offered 100,000 yuan ($14,570) in advance for the treatment of their injuries.

The other members of the tour returned to China on Sunday as scheduled, leaving the tour leader to take care of the injured tourists.

The National Tourism Administration expressed its grave concern over the case in a statement on Sunday, saying it has urged the South African tourism department to deal with the case and take any necessary measures to guarantee the safety of Chinese tourists in the country.

The Chinese consulate general in Johannesburg mentioned on Sunday that a similar robbery targeting Chinese tourists took place in Johannesburg on Thursday last week, in which the tourists were robbed of their belongings, though no one was hurt.

The consulate general suggests tourists improve safety awareness while traveling in the country.