Tourists killed in South Africa national park, authorities say

In this photograph taken Tuesday July 19, 2011 a convoy of army vehicles make their way to an isolated outpost in the Kruger National Park's Sabi River valley, close to the Mozambican border, to stage a night patrol for visiting press. Armed soldiers, park officials, judicial, customs and tax officers are coordinating a multi-pronged strategy in a bid to end rhino poaching in the country's flagship park. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

JOHANNESBURG - Security was tightened in South Africa’s Kruger National Park nature reserve after two tourists were found killed there, authorities said on Sunday.

The two South African victims, a 71-year-old man and a woman whose age was not disclosed, failed to return to their lodge on Wednesday evening, prompting a search operation.

Other tourists eventually found them in a river on Friday afternoon. Police said the man had stab wounds and the woman’s body was bruised. Their vehicle was missing.

SANParks said it was “deploying additional monitoring and ranger resources in specific areas of concern” in response.

It added that it was “enhancing technology systems to strengthen surveillance and early warning capabilities”.

It said it was the first time in the park’s 100-year history that visitors had been killed there.

Kruger Park, in the north-east of the country, is South Africa’s biggest national park, covering 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 square miles). It shares more than 370 kilometres of border with Zimbabwe and Mozambique.