Lucky escape for SA tourist

20 March 2015 - 02:32 By Graeme Hosken
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PANIC: Police officers and a journalist outside the parliament in Tunis on Wednesday, when gunmen stormed a museum and killed 19 foreign tourists and two Tunisians
PANIC: Police officers and a journalist outside the parliament in Tunis on Wednesday, when gunmen stormed a museum and killed 19 foreign tourists and two Tunisians
Image: ZOUBEIR SOUISSI/REUTERS

Tales of a life-saving last-minute decision not to visit a museum have emerged as South African and international authorities scramble to locate citizens killed, missing or injured in the terror attack in Tunisia.

Helen Esterhuizen and seven friends on a Mediterranean cruise decided not to go into the Bardo National Museum in Tunis. As they made their way to a market instead, two gunmen, disguised as police, entered the museum and opened fire on fellow passengers from the MSC Splendida, killing nine and injuring 12.

In total 23 people, including 19 foreigners, were killed and 50 injured.

Speaking en route to Barcelona, Esterhuizen said yesterday: "It's a real miracle. We were meant to go to the museum but our friend had had enough of museums."

They had not heard the attack from the nearby market.

"The streets were calm. Our taxi driver who picked us up later wasn't even aware of what was happening. It was only after we got back to the dock four hours later - after spending time on the beach and having lunch - and were waiting for our ship that things started appearing suspicious.

"There were lots of police, tourist buses were being escorted by the military and navy divers were searching under our ship."

Only once they were aboard the ship and saw the attack on TV did they realise what had happened, she said.

"It's awful. It's scary that somebody could do this to this beautiful country. The people are amazing, so kind and caring, why would anyone want to hurt Tunisia?"

Esterhuizen said the mood on the ship was sombre.

"People are rattled. It's scary to think how close we and others came to going to the museum."

UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported that some people survived the attack by smearing the blood of others on themselves and playing dead.

A spokesman for MCS Cruises, Ingrid Roding-Tudor, confirmed a South African woman was injured in the attack: "She is in a serious condition in hospital. Her husband is with her.

"The remaining 76 South Africans onboard have been accounted for. Nine of our passengers were killed and 12 injured." She said six passengers were still missing.

The spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Nelson Kgwete, said information on the number of South Africans caught in the attack was difficult to come by.

"Our embassy staff are going through the hospitals. They are in contact with local authorities, but it is chaotic. There were a number of South Africans in Tunis."

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