29 Tourists Are Missing in Algeria
- Share via
BERLIN — Twenty-nine European tourists are missing in the Sahara Desert in Algeria, and officials fear they have been attacked or kidnapped.
German and Austrian police have joined the hunt for the vacationers, some of whom have not been heard from since February, officials said Monday.
The missing -- 15 Germans, eight Austrians, four Swiss, a Swede and a Dutchman -- were thought to have headed into the desert, bound for southern Algeria, site of ancient graves, but also known as a region of arms smugglers and drug traffickers.
The tourists, ages 19 to 64, were traveling in six groups, some in four-wheel drive vehicles, some on motorbikes. A number were last seen Feb. 21.
German police published pictures of the missing Germans on a Web site, seeking information on their whereabouts.
Officials believe the tourists encountered problems somewhere in a vast area stretching from Illizi, 750 miles southeast of Algiers, to Tamanrasset, 300 miles southwest of Illizi.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
John Orr was a renowned fire investigator who was also a prolific arsonist, and whose thinly veiled novel helped to convict him. In this episode we hear from the fire captain who first suspected him—and from Orr himself.
Madison McGhee is joined by legendary Dateline host Josh Mankiewicz and esteemed L.A. Times Reporter Richard Winton as the three of them dive into all-things Menendez Brothers, the good, the bad, and the still unknown.
NPR climate editor Sadie Babits talks about why the media has long overlooked the climate crisis, and how that’s starting to change.
