At least 11 people have been killed in a mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa.
As reported by the BBC, gunmen stormed the venue in Saulsville township, west of the capital Pretoria, on Saturday, December 6.
Besides that 11 people dead, fourteen others were wounded when firearms were opened, and a three-year-old was among the dead.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe noted, "At least three unknown gunmen entered this hostel where a group of people were drinking, and they started randomly shooting,"
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.
"I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot," Mathe said.
The gunmen reportedly entered the premises at 04:30 local time 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.
Describing the hostel as an "illegal shebeen", the police rep 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.
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.
