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
Geminid meteors streak under green sky | Space photo of the day for Dec. 19, 2025 - 2Step by step instructions to Guarantee the Life span of Your Dental Inserts: Support and Care Guide
- 3The Best 15 Applications for Efficiency and Association
- 46 Vehicle Rental Administrations: Pick Your Ideal Ride
- 5Huge Iranian missile fragments, intercepted by air defenses, lay scattered across Israel, West Bank
- NASA Perseverance rover sees megaripples on Mars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 7, 2026.
- Fact Check: Some Bridge Photos Circulating Do NOT Show The Hongqi Bridge That Collapsed In Southwest China Nov. 11, 2025
- Ancient meditation practices find new life in modern religious communities across America
- Science is best communicated through identity and culture – how researchers are ensuring STEM serves their communities
- Regeneron's experimental therapy combo effective in untreated cancer patients
- 10 Demonstrated Tips to Dominate Video Altering on Your Cell phone in 2023
- Chevron Says Damage at Wheatstone LNG Will Hamper Restart
- Ukraine to get up to 100 French-made Rafale fighter jets
- Find the Captivating Professional flowerbeds of the US
