At least nine people killed in mass shooting in South Africa

BREAKINGBREAKING,

South African police say that a manhunt is underway after a mass shooting killed at least nine people and injured 10 more.

Gunmen have opened fire at a tavern in a township near the city of Johannesburg in South Africa, killing at least nine people and wounding 10 others, according to the police.

In a statement on Sunday, the police said a manhunt is underway for those involved in the shooting, which took place in the Bekkersdal township just before 1am local time (23:00 GMT on Saturday).

“It is reported that about 12 unknown suspects in a white kombi and a silver sedan opened fire at tavern patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene,” the police said in a statement.

“The tavern is licensed,” it added.

The South African public broadcaster SABC reported that the unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons of the tavern and people in the streets outside.

“We are still busy obtaining statements. Our national crime and management team has arrived,” Gauteng Acting Police Commissioner Fred Kekana said, according to the SABC.

“The provincial crime scene management team has arrived and a team from the local criminal record centre is here, so is our serious crime investigating team, crime intelligence and the provincial crime detective team is on scene,” he added.

A motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

Some media reports put the death toll at 10 people.

“Ten people are dead. We don’t have a breakdown of who they are,” Brigadier Brenda Muridili, police spokesperson for Gauteng province, told the AFP news agency.

Authorities say that the wounded have been taken to the hospital.

More soon…