Two British tourists who met while traveling in Thailand were found nearly naked and beaten to death on a beach on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, police say.

The 23-year-old woman and the 24-year-old man were discovered next to a bloodied hoe.

"The man was chopped in the back and on the side of his head, while the woman was chopped in her face," Colonel Prachum Ruangthong told the Associated Press. "It's very gruesome."

The two travelers reportedly met at the beachside hotel they were staying in, and left a bar on the island at around 1 a.m. Police officials say they don't have a suspect yet but they believe that witnesses and residents will aid them in discovering further clues.

From the AP:

Local media reported that outraged residents of the island, which is home to about 2,000 people and survives on tourism, had blockaded its piers to help police prevent the killer from escaping.

[Image via AP]