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
Kenmore East reacts to their best overall delegation award at WNY Model United Nations General Assembly competition - 2Climate leaders are talking about 'overshoot' into warming danger zone. Here's what it means
- 3Here's how 'Bridgerton' fans can watch the first episode of Season 4 before its Netflix release later this month
- 4New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash: How to watch the star-studded country music special live
- 5Roman around the Christmas tree | Space photo of the day for Dec. 25, 2025
- Effectiveness Uncovered: A Survey of \Smoothing out Your Errands\ Efficiency Application
- What's The Friendliest City In The United Kingdom?
- Before Cheap Cars Were Common, This Fiat Changed Everyday Life for Millions
- Colleges say foreign students feel 'unwelcome' in the U.S. amid big drop in international enrollment, new survey finds
- HR exec caught on Coldplay 'kiss cam' with boss finally breaks her silence: 'I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons'
- I watched the buzzy new AI documentary — and left feeling both hopeful and terrified
- Blue Origin launches New Glenn rocket on company's first NASA-scale science mission
- Congo declares its latest Ebola outbreak over, after 43 deaths
- Become the best at Discussion: 6 Procedures for Progress
