Female student, 21, from British university is shot by armed robbers in South Africa

A female student from a British university has been shot by armed robbers during a terrifying car hijacking in South Africa.

The 21-year-old – who is understood to be of Dutch origin – and two other female tourists had their car forced off the road by masked gunmen while they were on their way to the Kruger National Park to work with conservation and wildlife.

Two of the volunteers were shot through the doors as at least four bullets smashed the windscreen and windows, showering all three students with flying glass.

The gang then tore open the door of their Suzuki Cherry and drove the girls to a quiet spot near White River, 25 miles from the notorious Numbi Gate at the national park in Mpumalanga Province.

The shocking attack on the three women, who were set to start a photography internship, is being treated by South African Police as attempted murder.

All three had signed up for a month-long £3,750 Photography and Wildlife Conservation Course with African Impact. (File image of volunteers with African Impact)

All three had signed up for a month-long £3,750 Photography and Wildlife Conservation Course with African Impact, who organise volunteer internships throughout Africa.

The three balaclava-clad gunmen stole their luggage, camera equipment and laptops worth thousands of pounds along with mobile phones, cash, valuables and jewellery.

The two girls who were shot were left bleeding from their bullet wounds whilst stranded on a dirt track in the dark.

The other volunteer who avoided gunfire took the wheel of the Suzuki and drove to find help and pulled over at the Timrite Yaverland sawmill just outside White River when she saw security guards.

Emergency ER24 paramedics were called to the scene and the two victims with gunshot wounds were stabilised. All three were treated for cuts from the flying glass caused by the bullets.

All were also treated for shock and taken to the Nelspruit Mediclinic at Mbombela and it is believed the two students who were shot have now returned home to the Netherlands and England.

The injured UK student is believed to originally be from the Netherlands but she went to school and university in England.

The other shot student is believed to be from Utrecht in the Netherlands. She is understood to have volunteered to work with animals in conservation abroad before, including in Peru.

Emergency ER24 paramedics were called to the scene and the two victims with gunshot wounds were stabilised and all three were treated for cuts from the flying glass caused by the bullets. Pictured: Kruger National Park

South African Police confirmed ‘numerous’ shots were fired at the girls and ER24 paramedics were called to the Timrite Sawmills to treat two of the traumatised tourists for bullet wounds.

This is not the first time people have been targeted near to the Numbi Gate. One German tourist was shot dead driving there in October last year.

The man, his wife and another German couple were ambushed when a car swerved in front of them. When the man tried to reverse he was murdered. Three men aged between 25 and 38 have been arrested and charged with the murder.

And in January last year, a South African woman driving out of the Numbi Gate with her two children came under fire from three masked gunmen.

The woman was heading home to Pretoria with her two children when a dozen bullets hit her vehicle and her daughter was shot twice in the leg, but they escaped.

In the latest attack, the three girls were about 25 miles from the Numbi Gate but it shuts at sunset so it would appear they were driving to accommodation for the night outside the Kruger.

The latest chilling ambush on tourists driving to the Kruger National Park is a blow to the local Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, who are desperate to protect vital tourism.

John Meintjes of ACS Security whose guards at Timrite Sawmills were approached by the victims shortly after they were hijacked said: ‘They were hysterical and had been shot at.

‘They told my staff they had been robbed by three gunmen and two were shot in the leg and the other hit by glass and the guards gave first aid while waiting for an ambulance.

The latest chilling ambush on tourists driving to the Kruger National Park is a blow to the local Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency who are desperate to protect vital tourism. Pictured: Lanner Gorge in the Kruger National Park 

‘The girls were very worried the gunmen would come back again but the guards were in control – but the robbers had taken everything of value they had in their car’ he said.

It is believed the three girls had signed up for the one-month-long Photography and Wildlife Conservation internship programme which was being run by the NGO African Impact.

African Impact provides volunteers with ‘life-changing experiences’ throughout Africa.

The three volunteers would have been working under a professional photographer learning the skills of how to capture wildlife through the lens and how to edit and present images.

A South African Police spokesman said the shootings happened at 7.30pm on June 30 last month and that a security guard at the sawmills heard at least four shots being fired.

He said: ‘A Suzuki parked at the sawmill a few minutes later and 3 white females came out of the vehicle crying for help and said that they had been shot by unknown suspects.

‘They took all their belongings and there were two victims who had been shot and were taken to hospital with serious injuries and it is being treated as attempted murder.

‘No arrests have been made as yet of the suspects who were in a silver VW Polo’ he said.

The Lowvelder newspaper reported that African Impact in South Africa had confirmed the incident but refused to comment further referring press calls to their UK headquarters.