British Tunisia death toll rises to 15

by Rashida Adjani and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Tunis/London

25 minutes ago

Fifteen Britons have died following the attack on a Tunisian beach resort, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

But Foreign Minister Tobias Ellwood warned the death toll was likely to rise.
He said it was "the most significant terrorist attack on the British people" since the London 7/7 bombings in 2005.
A Tunisian student linked to Islamic State (IS) carried out the gun attack in Sousse which killed 38.
Carly Lovett from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, Adrian Evans from the West Midlands and his nephew Joel Richards are among the dead, according to local sources.
None of the identities of the British fatalities has been officially released.
Mr Ellwood said the death toll was likely to rise because several people had been "seriously injured in this horrific attack".
A UK police team is also on its way to Tunisia to assist with identifying victims and Foreign Office staff are also in the area.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the attack on the beach "savage".
The attack started at about noon on Friday when the gunman, who security officials said had posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol, started shooting on the beach - near the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba and the Bellevue Hotel - before entering the Hotel Imperial Marhaba, continuing to shoot.
The gunman - named later as Seifeddine Rezgui, a student not previously known to authorities - was then shot dead by police.
Islamic State, who said it was behind the attack, named him as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani.
The BBC's Jim Muir, who is in the gunman's home village of Jaafour, said his parents, sister and close friends had been detained by the Tunisian authorities.
But he spoke to an uncle and cousin of the man who said there had been nothing in his behaviour to indicate he had been radicalised or that he was about to carry out an attack.

Thomson and First Choice said some of the fatalities were their customers and they have sent 10 planes to bring home 2,500 tourists.
The Foreign Office's helpline number is 0207 008 0000. Thomson and First Choice's helpline number is 0800 088 5372.
A number of Britons have issued desperate pleas for information about relatives who have not made contact since the attack.
Daniel Welch, from Swindon in Wiltshire, said his grandfather John Welch, 74 and his partner Eileen Swannack, 70, had not made contact since the attack.
"We are at a bit of a loss and we can only expect the worst," Mr Welch said.
Carol Mulhall from Doncaster, who is looking for her mother and stepfather Margaret and Dougie Lamb, told BBC Radio 4: "Nobody can tell me anything about where they are, if they're OK.
"I'm ringing mum's mobile which is just ringing out. And I don't know if they're OK or if they're not. I don't know anything at all."
Meanwhile the family of missing couple Denis and Elaine Thwaites from Blackpool have been told they are alive but injured and in a Tunisian hospital.

Hospital treatment

By Mark Lowen, BBC News in Sousse
The clinics of Sousse aren't used to dealing with gunshot wounds. A quiet tourist town, it's been severely shaken by this tragedy.
At the Sahloul University hospital, they're taking in the victims.
Over 20 are being treated here: one is in intensive care, others waiting for operations on limbs punctured by bullets.
Tony Callaghan, from Norfolk, was at the Imperial Hotel with his wife - their third time here. The attack sent him running from the beach into the hotel, crying out for his wife to take cover.
One bullet hit his knee. He ended up with a group in one room, barricading themselves in.
He could hear his wife outside crying for help. Welling up with tears, he tells me he didn't know if he'd see her alive.
But then he holds up her bag, with her glasses case inside. Both bear bullet holes, the lens of the glasses shattered.
The bag took the impact of the bullet which then hit her leg. And she too waits, upstairs at the Sahloul hospital, not knowing when she and her husband will get home.

Travel developments

Thomson and First Choice, which have about 6,400 customers in Tunisia, said the two hotels where the attacks took place were part of their programme.
The firms' owner Tui said anyone who wanted to return home could do so by Sunday. It said about 1,000 customers had returned by Saturday morning.
In other travel developments:

• All Thomson and First Choice holidays to Tunisia for the next week have been cancelled

• Abta travel association estimates there are approximately 20,000 customers currently on holiday with its members in Tunisia, but says there will also be a number of holidaymakers who have travelled independently.

• Easyjet said it would provide an additional flight from Monastir, Tunisia, at 17:45 GMT (18:45 BST) for customers who wish to fly home early.

• Jet2holidays and Jet2.com travel companies put on four aircraft from Enfhida Airport on Saturday afternoon to repatriate those who wanted to return home and has cancelled all of its flights and holidays to Tunisia up to 5 July.