Two British medical students have been stabbed to death on the island of Borneo, Malaysia.
Newcastle University students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22 years old, were on a six week work placement at a hospital in Kuching, in Sarawak, north-western Borneo.
They were stabbed to death at approximately 04:15 local time on Wednesday, and local police have arrested four men over the incident.
In a statement, police said that the two victims had been rebuked for being noisy in a tea shop, which led to an argument. When the pair left the shop, the suspects pursued them in a car, before one man got out and attacked them with a knife.
The Foreign Office has said that they are providing consular assistance to the victims’ families, and Newcastle University has said that a member of staff would fly out to Kuching “as soon as possible” to support the other students and co-ordinate their return to the UK.
In a statement, Professor Tony Stevenson, Acting Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University, said:
“We were informed this morning of the very sad news that two of our fourth year medical students working at a hospital in Kuching, Borneo, have been tragically killed.
“Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were on a six week work placement along with five other medical students to put the skills they had learnt during their time here at the University into practice. This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time.
“Two of our members of staff are flying out to Kuching as soon as possible and we are working closely with the British High Commissioner to support the other students and to co-ordinate their return to the UK.”
