At least nine people were reportedly killed and several others injured in a mass shooting at a township west of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the early hours of Sunday. The incident took place in the Bekkersdal township.
Details released by the South African Police Service indicated that the attack took place at around 1 am at a tavern in Bekkersdal, a settlement southwest of Johannesburg. Police said around 10 people were injured in the shooting, and officers are currently searching for nearly a dozen suspects believed to be involved in the attack.
According to a police statement shared on X, about 12 unidentified assailants arrived at the tavern in a white kombi and a silver sedan. They allegedly opened fire on patrons and continued shooting indiscriminately as they escaped. Authorities have appealed to witnesses and the public to share any information that could help trace the suspects.
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{{/usCountry}}South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News initially reported 10 fatalities but later revised the death toll to nine in a subsequent post on X.
Provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told SABC Television that one of those killed was a driver working for an online ride-hailing service who had been waiting outside the bar, news agency AFP reported.
The incident comes amid growing concern over recurring mass shootings in South Africa.
Second mass shooting incident in South Africa this month
Just two weeks ago, at least 11 people, including children, were killed when gunmen opened fire at an illegal drinking venue in Saulsville township near Pretoria, reported BBC. Police officials told the publication that such unlicensed liquor outlets, often referred to as illegal shebeens, have increasingly become hotspots for violent attacks.
South Africa continues to struggle with extremely high levels of violent crime, with one of the world’s highest murder rates, according to United Nations crime data, the BBC further reported. On average, 63 people lost their lives to violent crime in South Africa each day between April and September, according to police data cited by AFP.
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)