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21 April 2011

Two award-winning photojournalists killed in Misurata

Two photographers are killed and two injured. Both Tim Hetherington and Guy Martin worked closely wi

By Samira Shackle

Two award-winning photojournalists have been killed while covering the escalating violence in the Libyan city of Misurata, and two other photographers working with them were injured.

The British photographer Tim Hetherington and the American Chris Hondros, a Pulitzer prizewinner, were killed in what is believed to have been in a rocket-propelled grenade attack.

The two other photographers injured include another Briton, Guy Martin.

Hetherington, 40, co-directed the Oscar-nominated war documentary Restrepo, and had been an acclaimed conflict photographer for many years. He also worked with the New Statesman, which published a selection of images from his book on Liberia as a photo essay in November 2009.

Guy Martin, who works for the Panos photo agency, was critically injured by shrapnel. According to the BBC, his condition has now stabilised after hours of surgery, and it is hoped he will soon be well enough to be evacuated. He is a regular portrait photographer for the NS.

The New Statesman photography editor, Rebecca McClelland, worked closely with Hetherington for 12 years. She said:

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Tim and Chris’s deaths are a great loss to journalism. As two award-winning photographers, they reported with sincerity and a deep understanding of the issues they covered. Tim was a very decent and kind person. He will be sorely missed.

The New York-based photographer Michael Christopher Brown was also treated for shrapnel injuries.

Chris Hondros, 41, worked for Getty Images. As well as the Pulitzer Price, he won the Robert Capa Gold Medal, one of the highest prizes in war photography, and World Press Photo honours. His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers worldwide.

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