Tripoli , Libya ( CNN ) -- Libyan authorities have found the bodies of two foreigners who appear to have been shot during a picnic on a beach west of Tripoli , media officials said Thursday . The bodies were discovered on Tallil Seyahi Beach on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sabratha , according to the Sabratha Media Center . The identities and the nationalities of the two , described only as a man and a woman , have not been released . The UK Foreign Office and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they were looking into whether the dead were citizens of Britain and New Zealand . `` We are aware of reports that the bodies of two foreign nationals have been found in Libya , and we are urgently seeking further information from the authorities , '' said Sinead Keller of the UK Foreign Office . An official at the New Zealand foreign ministry said it was working with `` relevant authorities to confirm this . '' `` The bodies have not yet been formally identified and the next of kin have not yet been informed , '' the ministry official said . The two foreigners were reported missing , and police were actively searching for them when the bodies were discovered , the Sabratha Media Center said . It was not immediately clear from the media center how long the two were missing before their bodies were found . An initial police investigation shows the two were having a picnic in a somewhat remote area near a partially built resort . A photo posted on the Sabratha Media Center Facebook page purports to show the man and woman , who are lying face down in the sand . Near the bodies is a blanket that is spread out , with food and drinks strewn about . A backpack sat nearby . CNN can not confirm the authenticity of the photo , which the Sabratha Media Center said it obtained and posted to its Facebook page . According to an initial police investigation , there are tire marks in the area . Investigators are looking for possible motives behind the killings , officials said . In recent weeks there has been a rise in crime in the area , including a Libyan man who was killed during a reported carjacking , according to the media center . The beaches in and around Sabratha are among some of the most developed on Libya 's western coastline . They were a popular destination for picnics and swimming among foreigners before the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi . Jomana Karadsheh reported from Tripoli , and Chelsea J. Carter wrote from Atlanta . CNN 's Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report .
The bodies were discovered on Tallil Seyahi Beach on the outskirts of Sabratha , media officials say . The two appeared to be having a picnic when they were shot , the Sabratha Media Center said . The bodies were found in a fairly remote area near a partially built resort .