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Marrakech is a popular tourist city in the African nation of Morocco. Image Credit: Reuters

Dubai: Moroccan authorities have launched an investigation after a French tourist is suspected of murdering his two minor sons before attempting to commit suicide in a hotel in Marrakesh, local media reported.

According to media reports, the 72-year-old retired nurse is the prime suspect in the murder of his two sons aged 9 and 13. The suspect was found in a state of coma in the hotel room next to the bodies of his two sons on Monday.

A preliminary report indicated that a suspicious substance had been injected into their bodies. Police said the bodies of the victims did not bear any injuries except for a mark of injection on their backs.

A handwritten note containing the motive behind the crime and the family background of the suspect was found, police said. 

The suspect’s French ex-wife is also suspected of being involved in the crime. The two bodies were sent to a hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of their deaths and the nature of the substance injected into the victims.