Story here:
Jamie Trout 22, from Sunderland, was among 50 tourists stranded in horrific conditions in the devastated city.
They had joined up to 30,000 other people taking refuge from Hurricane Katrina in the venue.
But Mr Trout's family said the group was escorted to a nearby hotel by the National Guard after the Britons were targeted by others in the shelter.
The graduate economics student was travelling in the US when he was caught up in the devastation of the hurricane.
He had also been coaching football to disabled children as part of the Camp America scheme.
[...]
"The group really feared for their safety because they were being targeted because they were the only white people there."
[...]
He said of his eventual Superdome refuge: "There was a lot of heat from the people in there, people shouting racial abuse about us being white.
"The army warned us to keep our bags close to us and to grip them tight."
He said he saw crack cocaine being used in the filthy toilets, youngsters breaking into soft drink machines and men brawling. Urine and excrement spilled into corridors where they were sleeping.
Tragedies are supposed to bring out the best of America. This one seems to have brought out the worst, instead...
Story here:
[Two] Melbourne [Australia] women were trapped in the chaos at New Orleans' Convention Centre last night.
[...]
"There's a mob-like tendency in there. People are running around with legs broken off chairs, threatening people," she said.
[...]
Brisbane's John McNeil, 22, told his family he'd witnessed murders, rapes and stabbings, and feared he would be killed.
Mr McNeil's father, Peter, said his son was with about 60 other foreign tourists who had fled the Superdome.
"They couldn't stay another night, the situation was so bad," he said.
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Article comments
1 - Keg
I saw this story on CNN and heart went out to the Australians and Britons who were trapped in New Orleans.I am a citizen of the United States.Please know that the U.S. is a wonderful beatiful place on average,they were just caught in a nightmare.It is a sad fact that the african-americans do dislike caucasians and that they are dangerous and unpredictable.I hate that our Australian and British allies had to see this tragedy and racial tensions first hand.
I believe that the two women who were flown by the airline from Los Angeles to New Orleans and dropped off on the Saturday before this disaster should sue the airlines that did that.They should be given a free trip with room and board included plus compensation for pain and suffering.Please accept our deepest apologies from your friends in the U.S.