At least 11 people – including a three-year-old child – have been killed in a mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa.
Fourteen others were wounded when gunmen stormed the venue in Saulsville township, west of the capital Pretoria, early on Saturday.
At least three unknown gunmen began firing "randomly" at a group of people who were drinking, police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said.
The motive of the shooting is unknown and no arrests have been made. It is the latest in a string of mass shootings that have rocked the crime-ridden country in recent years.
The gunmen reportedly entered the premise at 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT) and opened fire on a group of men who were drinking. A 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were among those killed in the attack.
"I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot," Mathe said.
Describing the hostel as an "illegal shebeen", she added: "We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises," where she said the majority of mass shootings occur.
"Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire," she told public broadcaster SABC.
In a major crackdown, police shut down 12,000 such premises outlets between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people across the country.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, at 45 people per 100,000 according to 2023-24 figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Some 63 people were killed every day between April and September, according to police data.
latest_posts
- 1
Discovery of massive spider's web in Greece reveals unexpected behavior - 2Climate engineering would alter the oceans, reshaping marine life – our new study examines each method’s risks
- 3Arrow Exploration brings new Colombian oil well on stream ahead of schedule and under budget
- 4Getting through a Lifelong Change: Individual Examples of overcoming adversity
- 5Parents who delay baby's first vaccines also likely to skip measles shots
- Purdue Pharma's deal means money for some victims, end of Purdue company name. Here's what to know
- Russia’s New KVS Drone May Be Designed To Restore Reach In The FPV War
- How federal officials talk about health is shifting in troubling ways – and that change makes me worried for my autistic child
- The Leonid meteor shower is peaking early this week. Here’s what to know
- Study reveals links between global food systems, obesity, and climate change
- Which restaurants and fast food chains will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
- Is Trump going to war with Venezuela?
- Barry Manilow to have surgery for early-stage lung cancer and postpones January concerts
- Figure out How to Recognize Early Indications of Depressions
