British tourist killed in street robbery in Buenos Aires
in Buenos Aires
A BRITISH tourist has been killed outside a five-star hotel in Argentina in an attempted robbery.
A 50-year-old man and his son, 28, were both shot as they tried to enter the luxury Hotel Faena, in the heart of Buenos Aires’ Puerto Madero district.
They were intercepted by two men on a motorcycle who tried to rob them as they got out of a taxi, arriving at the hotel. The robbers, who had been circling the area, also had a support vehicle nearby.
The two Britons attempted to resist the theft and were shot in the struggle, authorities said. Emergency services arrived within minutes and took both to local Argerich hospital.
The older man was shot in the armpit and suffered a haemmorage after the bullet entered his chest. He died of his wounds shortly afterwards.
His son received a bullet to his left leg and is reportedly out of danger. The bullet missed his femoral artery. The perpetrators escaped after the attack and police were still searching for them last night.
Local police have closed off the area and security footage from the scene is
‘Armed robberies tend to rise at this time of year, when tourists flood to the city for the warmer months’
being analysed in order to identify the motorcycle and the route of escape.
The hotel, which is part of the luxury Faena Group, released a statement expressing “deepest condolences” and promising full support in the investigation.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there.”
Armed robberies tend to rise at this
Wanted
time of year in Buenos Aires, when tourists flood to the city for the warmer months.
In December last year, Swedish tourist Christoffer Persson was shot during an attempted robbery. In the same month, a US tourist was admitted to hospital after a violent assault.
Puerto Madero, where the murder took place, is the redeveloped former city docks, hailed as one of the most successful urban regeneration projects in the world.