Girl, 18, injured in Zanzibar acid attack leaves hospital

One of the two teenagers injured in an acid attack in Zanzibar has been discharged from hospital.

Kirstie Trup spent three days at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after being injured in an unprovoked attack on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said Ms Trup was discharged while her friend — who earlier was said to be in a “stable” condition — remains being treated for burns.

The spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Kirstie Trup was discharged from the hospital last night. Katie Gee remains in hospital. No details on either of the patients’ treatment will be released at this time.

“This approach is in line with the families’ wishes and we continue to ask that the media respect their privacy at this time.”

The pair, who are both 18 and from north London, were on a volunteering holiday on the island, off the coast of Tanzania, when they were targeted.

A cleric is reported to be in custody after being arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack.

The Daily Telegraph said Sheikh Issa Ponda Issa handed himself in to police a day after he was injured as he tried to evade officers.

Members of both teenagers’ families have been keeping a bedside vigil after the pair were flown home and immediately sent to London’s regional burns centre.

One friend of the pair told how one of the two men involved in the unprovoked attack “smiled” before throwing acid.

Speaking from Zanzibar, medical student Olivia Moore told Channel 4 News: “The two men were on a moped and they went past a group of tourists.

“They stopped for the girls and the two men then looked at each other, nodded, and then the man on the back of the bike smiled and threw acid on the girls.

“From then on it’s just chaotic. There was no incident that preceded the actual attack.

“Everyone was shocked. Nobody can think of a motivation or anything that precipitated this.”

Ms Gee has already taken to Twitter to thank well- wishers for their support, while a photograph released by the teenagers’ families showed the injuries one of them suffered in the attack.

The young women were enjoying the last week of a trip as volunteer teachers to the predominantly Muslim island when they were attacked.

They had originally planned to return in time to collect their A-level results this week, with Ms Trup hoping to study history at the University of Bristol while Ms Gee is considering the University of Leeds, according to reports.