Two Newcastle University medical students have been stabbed to death while on a work placement in Malaysia.
Fourth-year
students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were on the Malaysian
part of the island of Borneo on an attachment to a hospital in Kuching.
Reports
from the island claim the Britons were attacked and killed in the
street by a gang of four local men following an argument in a bar in
Kuching over the students being too noisy
Fourth-year
students Aidan Brunger (left outside the Kuching hospital where he was
working) and Neil Dalton (right) both 22, have been killed while on
the Malaysian part of Borneo island
The two students
were on a six week placement in Malaysia along with five other medical
students at the time of the attack. Pictured is Neil Dalton
Newcastle
University's acting vice-chancellor Professor Tony Stevenson said in a
statement: '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.'
The Foreign Office said it was aware of the deaths and was providing consular assistance to the men's families.
Neighbours of Mr Dalton's parents, in Belper, Derbyshire, have described the incident as an 'absolute tragedy.'
One
neighbour said: 'He was a lovely lad. I know his mum and dad were very
proud of him. He had a great future ahead. It's an absolute tragedy.'
Another said: 'He played musical instruments and was in a band at one point. Neil and his family were very polite neighbours.'
One of the four suspects is arrested by police following the killing of two British students in Malaysia
Police in Sarawak have said four suspects are in custody following the attack in the early hours
Before
attending Newcastle University the high-flying student achieved four A*
grades at A-Level in maths, chemistry, physics and general studies, at
Belper School.
He was also a keen cricketer and had played for Belper Amateurs in his home town for several years.
Neighbours of Mr Brunger's family, in Gillingham, Kent, meanwhile said the news has 'shocked the entire street'.
Neighbour
Rosemarie Barnes, 72, said: 'I can't believe the news. It is truly
shocking. I feel so sorry for the family. I just can't imagine what they
are going through right now.
'It
is such a shame for this to happen. I haven't seen him for a few years
so that would make sense that he has been up north. It's just so
tragic.'
Another
neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said: 'The family have
lived here for a really long time, over a decade. His mum has two
children and his step dad has three. They seem like a wonderful family.
The students were reportedly confronted by a group of drunken men in Abell Road in the city of Kuching
'He
was such a lovely little boy, just about to start his life in such a
meaningful way. I believe his sister only got married last week so to go
from an ultimate high to this low is so sad.'
The
Malaysian State News Agency Bernama reported that the attack happened
at 4.15am in the Jalan Padungan area of Kuching in Sarawak province, in
the west of the Malaysian part of Borneo.
Sarawak
deputy police commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung told the agency the
fight broke out after an argument in a bar over the students being too
noisy.
He
added that the Britons had been due to finish their training at the
local hospital on Friday and the four suspects are in custody.
Professor
Jane Calvert, Dean of Undergraduate Studies for Newcastle University
Medical School, said the pair were 'excellent' and 'highly committed'
students who were doing well at their studies.
She said: 'We heard this morning about the tragic death of two of our students who were working out in east Malaysia.
Police have said the Britons had been
due to finish their training at the local hospital on Friday and the
four suspects are in custody
'They
were doing what thousands of medical students do every year, they were
on an elective to experience clinical practice in a different setting,
to learn from that and enhance their practice when they came back.
'I
didn't know them personally but they were well known by the programme
director and teachers on the course and we are all so shocked and
saddened by this.
'They
were excellent students, they were doing really well with their
studies, they were highly committed and coming back next year to work as
doctors.
'Aidan
was aspiring to do some medical research on his return, Neil was going
straight into his final year and it's such a tragic thing to occur.'
Prof
Calvert said she had been on holiday to Kuching herself earlier this
year and was particularly shocked that something like this could happen
there.
'I
don't think it related to the fact the students were in this particular
location, it was just a very, very unfortunate occurrence,' she said.
Reports from the island claim the
Britons were attacked and killed in the street by a gang of four local
men after a row in a bar in Kuching
'For
all our students going on elective, all the risks are looked at and
we're very careful not to let them go to places that are known to be of
high risk.
'Where
they were working is a very nice place. I was there myself earlier in
the year and I was especially shocked to hear it had happened there.'
The
two students were understood to have been staying near the Green Hill
Road area of Kuching, where a dorm in a hostel can cost as little as £4.
A
woman who answered the phone at the Singgahsana Lodge backpackers
hostel said they checked in on July 27 and were due to check out
tomorrow.
A professor at the Sarawak General Hospital - where it is thought they were studying - said the attack was 'not a random crime'.
Michael
Smile, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, said the men were pounced on by
four locals who chased them down in a car following a drink-fuelled
argument.
The two men were in the fourth year studying medicine at Newcastle University (pictured)
The students are believed to have been
attacked in the early hours of today as they walked back to a
backpackers' lodge after a night out in Kuching (file picture)
He also offered the students' friends counselling and warned them to not go out after midnight.
Writing
on a Facebook page called 'Elective Students of Sarawak General
Hospital', he said: 'I am sure by now all of you would have heard about
the tragic deaths of two of your colleagues/friends.
'Some of you have messaged me expressing anxiety and concern about your safety.
'If
any one needs counseling, etc please let me, Dr Wong Jin Shyan or one
of the physicians in the hospital know and we can see about hopefully
providing this.
'From the police investigations this was not a random crime.
'The
two students apparently got into a quarrel with four locals who had
been drinking. The details of the altercation was not provided.
'The end result was these four locals chased the students in their car and one of them stabbed the two students. '
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