The two elderly women, from the UK and New Zealand, were on a safari in a national park in Zambia

Two tourists have died after an elephant attack during a safari in a national park in eastern Zambia, the southern African country's police have said.

The incident happened on Thursday inside South Luangwa National Park, about 600km (370 miles) from the capital, Lusaka, Eastern Province Police Commissioner Robertson Mweemba said in a statement published by local media.

According to the statement, the tourists, Easton Janet Taylor, 68, from the UK and Alison Jean Taylor, 67, from New Zealand were part of a guided group when the female elephant that was with a calf charged at them.

Safari guides accompanying the group had attempted to stop the elephant by firing shots, wounding the animal, but were unable to prevent the attack. Both elderly women died at the scene, the police commissioner stated.

Mweemba said the tourists had been staying at Big Lagoon Camp and were walking to Takwela Camp, where they were expected to cross the Luangwa River by canoe.

"They saw it [the elephant] charging at high speed, and because Alison Jean Taylor had a leg problem, she was caught first," the Zambia Today news agency quoted the police chief as saying. "While the wildlife police officer fired warning shots, Easton Janet Taylor was caught as well," he added.

The incident is the latest of a series of fatal elephant encounters involving foreign tourists in Zambia. In March 2024, an 80-year-old American woman was killed when a bull elephant charged and overturned a safari vehicle in Kafue National Park. In June, a 64-year-old American tourist was trampled near the Maramba Cultural Bridge in Livingstone while observing a herd from a parked vehicle.

Zambia is home to some of the most diverse and abundant wildlife populations in Africa, including the 'Big Five' - lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses. The landlocked country is endowed with 20 national parks and 36 Game Management Areas, covering roughly 30% of its total land area - one of the largest proportions dedicated to conservation on the continent, according to the Zambian Ministry of Tourism.

(RT.com)