The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Horror at realisation that ‘fireworks’ was gunfire
A terrified Fife couple ran for their lives as their sunshine holiday in Tunisia turned into a bloodbath around them yesterday.
Maggie Crawshaw and partner Jal Burt, from Comrie, by Dunfermline, were enjoying the sun at their Port El Kantaoui hotel the Royal Kenz – directly next to the one targeted by the terrorists – when the gunfire started.
After initially thinking the noise from the beach was fireworks, they fled in terror with other guests from a scene of carnage as holidaymakers were shot dead on sunbeds.
Maggie, 60, described the slaughter as “horrific” as she spoke from her hotel room, where the couple had locked themselves for hours in the aftermath of the attack.
She said: “We were lying sunbathing in a quiet garden area of the Royal Kenz Hotel. I heard what I thought was fireworks; Jal thought it was machinegun fire.
“It was quiet for about 30 seconds and it started again. Jal said ‘That’s gunfire. Run!’
“Everyone was running up from the beach through a short corridor between our hotel and the Imperial Marhaba, where the gunmen had advanced and were randomly shooting people on their sunbeds. People were very scared and panicking.
“The hotel staff were getting everyone indoors. We didn’t wait around and went to our room, which looks over the front of the hotel.
“We could hear further gunfire from our room and obvious military presence, with sirens going and a helicopter circling overhead.
“We haven’t approached our rep or reception yet and are just watching this unfold on Al Jazeera and BBC World news.”
In the immediate aftermath Maggie had let friends and family know they were OK via Facebook. She posted:“It’s chaos but we are safe in the hotel for now. That was scary.”
Last night she said they were looking to get back home as soon as possible.