Unrelated tragedies have occurred within hours of each other at popular nightclubs
At least 18 people were killed and several injured in two mass shootings in South Africa on Saturday evening and in the early hours of Sunday, local police confirmed.
An incident occurred at a local tavern in Johannesburg’s Soweto township just after midnight. According to the Gauteng Police Commissioner’s Office, « a group of men armed with rifles and 9mm pistols entered the tavern and began shooting randomly at the patrons who were seated inside.
As a result, twelve people were pronounced dead at the scene and two died later.
Nine people were injured.
« Police have opened 14 murder cases and nine attempted murder cases,« said law enforcement, adding that a »detective teamis now looking for unknown shooters.
According to police estimates, the victims were between 19 and 35 years old.
Media reports suggest the attackers fled in a white Toyota Quantum minibus.
Just hours before the tragedy in Soweto, at 8:30 p.m. local time, two armed men opened fire in a tavern in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal province.
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22 young people dead in a South African nightclub
“Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other two died in hospital. Eight other people remain hospitalized after being injured. The suspects fled the scene after the incident,” police spokesman, Lt. Col. Nqobile Gwala said in a statement, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
The age of the victims in this case ranged between 30 and 45 years.
The tragedies came two weeks after more than 20 young people were killed in a suspected mass poisoning at a popular nightclub in the coastal city of East London. The cause of this tragedy is still unclear. The youngest victim of this incident was a 13-year-old girl.
