Three British women vanish after failing to return from South Africa

Three British women have vanished 6,000 miles from home after they missed their flight back to the UK.Liz Osborne, Kimberlee Langley and Mel Wright travelled to South Africa last month and never returned. Their families say that Liz, her niece Kimberlee and their friend Mel travelled on October 22 and were due to return home to the UK between October 30 and November 1, but have not heard from them since. The trio, from Market Harborough, were reported missing by family on November 4. It is unclear whether they boarded their flight home, but the plane they were meant to be on may have been delayed and diverted via France, according to local reports. Liz's daughter Courtney has now filed a missing person report for the three of them.In a plea online, Courtney said: 'My Mum Liz Osborne has been officially declared as a missing person.'Along with my cousin Kimberlee Langley and Kim's friend Mel Wright. Liz Osborne is among the three women reported missing after failing to return from a holiday in South Africa Kimberlee Langley (pictured) is Liz Osbourne's niece. The pair travelled on October 22 with their friend, Mel Wright Family friend Mel Wright (pictured) has also not been heard from 'It is originally believed that they left the country on 22nd October and [were] due to return around the 30.10.26/ 01.11.26'Please if anyone has any information at all please contact me or the police as soon as possible.' The Foreign Office was approached for comment. The women's disappearance comes after the family of a British woman who vanished last year while hiking in South Africa urged authorities to investigate her death as murder. Lorna McSorley, 71, from Teignmouth, Devon, disappeared in September 2025 after she went on a walk with her partner of 30 years, 82-year-old Leon Probert.The couple left their hotel to go for a short walk from the Ghost Mountain Inn in the KwaZulu-Natal province to search for local wildlife.But on the walk, Leon found the heat and distance too stifling, returning back to get his hat and leaving Lorna to continue on her own.It would be the last time he would see her.To this day, Leon's partner has not been heard from despite an extensive search operation of the surrounding area after she failed to return three hours later.Locals in the South African region believe she may have been kidnapped and killed for her body parts to be used in 'muti' rituals.Last month, Ms McSorley's brother, Geoff Sheward, said he wants her case to be treated as a murder investigation and not a missing persons inquiry.A year on from her disappearance, the 73-year-old said the family can't yet grieve her death.'As bad as it would be to hear any horrible details, knowing nothing is definitely worse,' he told The Times.'We are just in limbo, unable to settle her affairs or know how to grieve.'The KwaZulu-Natal region's northern area, where Lorna went missing, is known for being a hotspot for strong 'muti' beliefs which is a type of traditional medicine or magic.Though most 'muti' rituals require parts from plants or animals, there are those who believe the most powerful charms and medicines require human body parts.These spells are often used by those with the wealth and contacts to procure human body parts, be they business leaders closing a deal, a gangster wishing to protect themselves or a politician seeking high office.Several locals said that a 'muti' killing was the likely cause of Lorna's death, The Times previously reported.