Johannesburg, Oct 11:
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 injured in two separate shootings in South Africa.
Police said 17 people were killed and 15 injured in a shooting at a bar in the western suburbs of Johannesburg on Saturday night. The incident left 15 people injured. Police said the dead included 13 men and four women.
Police said about eight gunmen opened fire. They searched some customers at the bar and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. The incident reportedly took place at around 7:30 pm local time on Saturday.
Police said the motive for the attack was not yet clear. Police said the suspects set fire to two vehicles before fleeing. Investigators and a special police team have been deployed to arrest those involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, 10 people were killed and 11 injured in another shooting at an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town on Sunday morning.
South Africa has a high rate of gun violence, both legal and illegal. Gang conflicts and competition in informal businesses are common causes of shootings.
South Africa, a country of about 62 million people, has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The country is estimated to have an average of about 60 people killed every day. In March this year, the army was deployed to help police control crime in a violent area of Johannesburg. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the rising crime rate as one of the country’s major challenges. (RSS/AFP)
