Interior ministry says women, from Denmark and Norway, found with cuts to their necks

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Moroccan authorities have arrested a suspect following the murder of two Scandinavian tourists in the High Atlas mountains, the interior ministry said.

Other suspects are being sought over the deaths of the two women – a Dane and a Norwegian – whose bodies were found on Monday with cuts to their necks, the ministry said.

The bodies were discovered in an isolated mountainous area six miles (10km) from the tourist village of Imlil, which is a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toukbal, the highest summit in north Africa.

The suspect was arrested in Marrakesh about 40 miles (65km) north of Imlil, the ministry said.

The Danish victim, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, “had her throat cut”, said her mother, Helle Petersen, according to the Danish newspaper BT.

Her family had warned her against going to Morocco “because of the chaotic situation”, she added.

According to Jespersen’s Facebook page, she had studied in Norway to be a guide. The other victim was 28 years old, according to Moroccan media.

Security was stepped up in the region and hiking suspended following the discovery of the bodies, media said.