At least 15 people have been shot and killed in a bar in the South African city of Soweto. Police said gunmen entered the Orlando East Tavern early Sunday and opened indiscriminate fire at a group of youths.
They then fled from the spot in a white minibus. Police said no motive for the attack has been established. The condition of many more people in the hospital remains critical.
The age of the victims is said to be between 19 and 35 years.
“Bodies were on top of each other with blood all over. We were looking for our loved ones, we had to jump over bodies looking for our brothers,” said local resident Ntombikayise Meji.
A press statement issued by his office said the gunmen were carrying rifles and 9 mm pistols when they entered the bar.
Police are looking for the suspects, whose identities are unknown. Thaban Moloi, a community leader in Soweto, was angered by the time it took police to reach the scene.
“It’s terrible, I’m telling you. People don’t know what to do. If you were there you could see women and children crying,” he said. Mr Moloi said the attack happened at 23:00 local time on Saturday (21:00 GMT), but police did not arrive until 04:00 on Sunday.
“Honestly, it took them five hours to arrive,” he said.
Four others were killed in a shootout at an isolated inn in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. The police gave this information on Sunday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa offered condolences to the families of those killed in both shootings.
“As a nation, we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorize us in this way, no matter where such incidents occur,” he said.
Shootings are not uncommon in South Africa. They are often associated with gangs or alcoholism.