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
Comet Lemmon and Milky Way spotted over Hawaii | Space photo of the day for Dec. 12, 2025 - 2The face is familiar, the name might not be. The king of "Hey, it's that guy!' roles is ready to show you his next act.
- 3Gaza amputees struggle to rebuild lives as the enclave faces shortages of prosthetic limbs
- 4Vote In favor of Your Favored Shimmering Water
- 5Rio Tinto resumes operations at three Pilbara port terminals after cyclone Narelle
- Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo sentenced for conspiracy
- Flu illness count nears 5 million, with New York City among the hardest hit
- New electric car registrations rise sharply in Germany in March
- What's the new 'Knives Out' mystery about? Everything to know about 'Wake Up Dead Man,' including who's in the cast and what the reviews say.
- What is ‘Auld Lang Syne’? Why we sing this song at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
- Germany's Lufthansa enters race for stake in Portuguese airline TAP
- Amy Poehler's podcast is a hit. It's also a Trojan horse for talking about women and aging.
- 4 Family SUVs: Joining Solace and Style
- Deaths reported in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah exchange attacks
