Gunmen kill 9, injure 10 in mass shooting near Johannesburg
Gunmen kill 9, injure 10 in mass shooting near Johannesburg
Unknown gunmen opened fire at a Bekkersdal tavern near Johannesburg, killing nine and wounding ten as a manhunt unfolds.
Nine people were killed and ten others were wounded when gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Bekkersdal, a gold-mining area about 40 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, in the early hours of Sunday. Police said around a dozen attackers arrived in a white minibus and a silver sedan, sprayed bullets inside the tavern, and then fled the scene as customers scattered.
Authorities said the motive was not immediately clear and would be determined by investigation. A driver for an online car-hailing service was among the dead, the police commissioner told SABC television.
A manhunt was launched for the suspects as residents described a surge of violence in parts of the mining region and a history of illegal alcohol sales and gang activity that has fueled crime.
Bekkersdal's violence comes after another mass shooting earlier in December, when gunmen stormed a hostel at Saulsville township near Pretoria, killing a dozen people, including a child. South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with violence often linked to gang conflicts and the proliferation of illegal firearms despite strict ownership rules.
Investigations are ongoing and authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward as teams work to track down the suspects.
