Five snatched tourists die

By Jason Collie and NZPA

Five tourists have been killed and seven others rescued after rebels snatched them from a group of gorilla watchers on the Ugandan border.

It was not known late last night if the three New Zealanders in the group were dead or alive.

The deaths occurred during an apparent rescue attempt by Ugandan forces, a police spokesman said.

Asked if the tourists had died during a rescue attempt, a Ugandan police spokesman said: "I don't think so. They were killed by the rebels."

Aucklanders Mark and Rhonda Avis and an unnamed 26-year-old woman from the South Island were among the abducted group.

They had been part of a larger international tour party whose camp near Uganda's troubled border with Congo was over-run by about 100 Rwandan Hutu rebels in the early hours of yesterday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman James Funnell said the ministry was working with British officials to establish the fate of the New Zealanders.

Of the abducted group of 15, one of the dead is believed to be an American. As well as two other Americans and the New Zealanders, the party was known to have included five Britons, one Canadian and an Australian.

Shortly before the news of the deaths, Ugandan authorities had pledged to begin a massive hunt in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in remote south-west Uganda.

John Avis, the father of 28-year-old Mark, speaking from his Oamaru home last night, welcomed the news - "as long as they don't go in like cowboys, with guns blazing."

Mr Avis said he and his wife Sue remained positive. Their son was "a fairly resourceful young man", who would grab any chance to escape with his wife.

The 17 people who escaped the initial rebel attack are now back in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, where they described the horror of being set upon by men with sub-machineguns.

The hostage-taking occurred within 60km of where Hamilton man Douglas Kear, aged 66, and three other tourists were kidnapped last August. One was freed, but Mr Kear and two Swedes have not been heard of since.

New Zealand is now considering following Britain in putting Uganda on its list of hot spots to avoid.

Relatives of Mrs Avis were comforting her parents, Maurice and Pauline Jackson, at their Forrest Hill home last night.

The couple met through a church group in Milford, Auckland, when they were both 16 and have been married for seven years. They lived in Glenfield before going to London two years ago.

They last spoke to Mr and Mrs Avis two weeks ago, just before they left London.

"They were aware of [the dangers], but they are grown-ups ... You think this sort of thing always happens to someone else."

Pictured: Mark and Rhonda Avis before they left on their overseas travel. PICTURE / OAMARU MAIL