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
2026 will be the year NASA astronauts fly around the moon again — if all goes to plan - 2Most loved Road Food: Which One Prevails upon You?
- 3Vote in favor of your Favored Kind of Scarf
- 4When faith comes under fire: How Iran’s repression of religious minorities has increased
- 5The most effective method to Apply Antiquated Ways of thinking in Current Brain science Practices
- Israel says it will keep control over part of southern Lebanon after war with Hezbollah ends
- Most normal matter in the universe isn't found in planets, stars or galaxies – an astronomer explains where it's distributed
- 100 new alien worlds: Scientists find hidden haul in data from NASA exoplanet-hunting spacecraft
- ChatGPT served as "suicide coach" in man's death, lawsuit alleges
- Why don’t humans have hair all over their bodies? A biologist explains our lack of fur
- 5 VIPs That Changed Style
- ‘More should be done’: UN pushes Syrian regime on justice for Druze, Alawites and minority groups
- Australia’s post-Bondi crackdown accused of targeting pro-Palestinian voices
- Which Espresso Do You Like Best? Vote
