On Sunday, 13. March 2016, two terrorist attacks happened in two different countries, namely in the beach resort Grand Bassam in the Ivory Coast and in the Turkish capital Ankara. Both cities are popular destinations for tourists. The European Consumer Centre Austria (ECC) summarized important information for those who plan to travel to the respective regions.
Ivory Coast
Several armed men opened gunfire on a beach and then turned to three hotels. 14 civilians and two soldiers were killed, among them four European tourists (one from France and one from Germany, the origins of the two others are currently unknown).
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim), a subgroup of the terror network Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group had carried out several attacks in the neighbouring countries Mali and Burkina Faso as well as in Tunisia in the past months.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry states a partial travel warning for the northern parts of the country, especially at the border to Mali. A high safety risk is considered for the rest of the country. With regards to the current events, the ministry recommends to act with the utmost caution and to avoid gatherings and demonstrations as well as places that are frequently visited by foreigners.
It is important to follow the current media coverage and to save respective articles, as they build a good basis for argumentation with airlines, hotels and tour operators.
Turkey
In the capital Ankara, a huge explosion near the busy Kizilay place killed at least 34 persons. According to media reports, one or two suicide attackers fired a car bomb at a bus station. It is the second attack in a few weeks in the same area in Ankara. It is not yet clear who is responsible for the attack, as no one has claimed responsibility yet and authorities are still investigating.
Tips & help
ECC Austria provides free advice regarding the topic “Danger at destination” under the hotline 0043 (0) 1/ 588 77 63 and the mail address info@europakonsument.at .
Please find all information and legal backgrounds at the following articles:
