Egyptian tourism group to compensate families of killed Mexican tourists

Mexico’s foreign ministry has announced that the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA) will financially compensate Mexicans who lost relatives or were wounded in Egypt last year. The exact amount is not yet clear.

In September 2015 the Egyptian army opened fire on a group of tourists who were having a picnic in the popular tourist spot Bahariya o  asis in Egypt’s Western desert. Eight Mexicans and four Egyptians were killed and six Mexicans were wounded.

In May the association said it paid $140,000 to the families of the victims after an investigation found that the travel agency looking after the tourists “should have had more clarity on the permit” to visit the desert and as such are responsible for their deaths

As part of reparations for the attack Egypt will build a memorial for the Egyptian and Mexican tourists, though the location is yet to be decided.

Some reports say the Egyptian army mistook the tourists for militants after they entered a restricted area; others say they were gunned down as security forces chased jihadists.