Two 18-year-old British charity workers have been victims of a horrific acid attack on the East African island of Zanzibar.
The women were walking in the historical centre of Zanzibar City, capital of the Tanzanian archipelago, when a passenger on a moped threw the acid on Wednesday (August 7). The date marks Eid-al-Fitr – the end of Ramadan, according to the Islamic calendar. Most of the almost 100% Muslim population would have been feasting in anticipation of the month of Shawwāl.
Mkadam Khamis, the islands deputy police commissioner, said: “The motive for the attack on the volunteers aged 18 years, has not been established. Investigations are on until we apprehend the criminals.”
The women were flown to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Tourism is the main foreign currency earner for Zanzibar, famed for its white-sand beaches and historical buildings in the capital’s centre, Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
