GPS guides tourists into trouble
2008-11-25 08:20
Rio De Janeiro - Three Norwegian
tourists came under fire and one was shot after the satellite
navigation system in their car guided them straight into one of
Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous slums.
The three men cut short their vacation in Brazil and headed
home on Monday after Trygve Killingtveit, 24, was shot in the
shoulder by suspected drug traffickers from one of the gangs
that control hundreds of shantytowns in Rio.
The tourists were returning from the beach resort of Buzios
about three hours north of Rio on Saturday when they got lost,
Brazil's Globo TV and several newspapers reported.
They reportedly told police their Global Positioning System
(GPS) system recommended they turn off a main highway as the
quickest route back to the airport to drop off the rental car.
But the suggested route took them deep into the Mare slum
complex, where their rented car quickly came under fire.
No motive for the attack was given, and no arrests were
made.
Killingtveit managed to drive the car to safety despite
being wounded. He told family members in Norway that he
probably went astray because of a fault in the GPS, Norwegian
daily Dagbladet reported.
"As far as I understand, the GPS system in their car showed
the wrong information," his brother, Magne Killingtveit, told
the paper.
The Norwegian consulate in Rio declined on Monday to
comment on the incident, saying only that the three had
returned to Norway.
