Panaji, Dec 20 (IANS): A 42-year-old British national was raped by unknown persons near the popular Palolem beach in south Goa, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred at 4.30 a.m. when the victim was walking from the Canacona railway station to her rented home near Palolem village, Police Inspector Rajendra Prabhudessai told reporters here.

"We have drawn up a list of suspects based on the description given to us. Investigations are on," the official said.

Officials from the Crime Branch are assisting the South Goa district police in the investigation. A First Information Report has been filed under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The victim has been an annual visitor to the coastal state for several years.

Goa is a popular tourism destination attracting more than seven million tourists every year, half a million being foreign nationals. The tourism season in Goa starts in October and winds up in March.

Over the last decade, crimes against foreigners, especially women, has been a cause for concern in Goa, especially after the sexual assault and subsequent death of a British teenager Scarlett Keeling in 2008.