Man held after two tourist women stabbed in Morocco

Two Scandinavian women tourists have been found dead in Morocco with cuts to their necks, the country's interior ministry said.

The families of the women, from Denmark and Norway, have been notified, officials from the two countries confirmed.

The women’s bodies were found on Monday in an isolated area near Imlil, on the way to Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak and a popular hiking destination, the ministry said in a statement.

The man was arrested in Marrakech, Morocco’s largest tourist hub, and police were hunting other individuals identified as suspects.

The man was being held in custody "to determine the motive of the crime while investigations continue to arrest other individuals who have been identified and suspected of taking part in criminal acts", the central bureau of judicial investigation said in a statement.

The women had been sharing a tent 10km (6 miles) from Imlil and their bodies had been found inside the tent on Monday, near the foot of North Africa's highest peak, Mount Toubkal, reports said.

One of the women was named as Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway. Danish officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the second woman.

Maren Ueland's mother Irene told public broadcaster NRK that the pair had been studying together at the University of South-Eastern Norway and had gone backpacking for their Christmas holiday on 9 December.

She shared a picture on social media of her daughter with the simple message: "Our Maren". The pair had taken all necessary safety measures before they had left, she told NRK.