Robbers attacked a British couple, killing the wife and critically injuring the husband in Knysna, a scenic resort about 500 kilometers east of Cape Town, South African police said on Monday.

The attack, which took place on Sunday, shocked residents in Knysna which had been relatively peaceful and safe.

"The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear and being investigated," police spokesperson Bernadine Steyn said.

The wife died on the scene and the husband sustained critical injuries to his head, seemingly inflicted with a blunt object, said Steyn.

Knysna is a tourist attraction frequented by European and American tourists. But the tranquil town has been hit by a wave of crimes recently.

In June, an American woman was raped at noon by two men while jogging in the Tsitsikamma National Park near Knysna.