Nine people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting Sunday morning in a township in Johannesburg, South Africa. Authorities have launched a manhunt for the suspects, in what is the second such shooting in the country this month..
"Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen," a police statement said. Officials told France's AFP news agency that the motive for the shooting is still unknown.
The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. local time (2300 GMT) at a licensed tavern in Johannesburg's Bekkersdal township, the police said.
About 12 unknown suspects in a white minibus and a silver sedan opened fire at the tavern patrons and continued shooting randomly as they fled the scene.
The injured have been taken to medical facilities for treatment, police added.
Police officials have launched a manhunt for the attackers and said the motive for the shooting would be determined by investigation.
High murder rate
Bekkersdal is part of the Rand West City local municipality, whose website describes the township as being an area characterised by high levels of unemployment and poverty due to a decline in gold mining.
South Africa, Africa's biggest economy, has one of the world's highest murder rates, averaging about 60 a day.
Two weeks ago, several people, including three minors, were killed in a mass shooting in Saulsville Hostel in Atteridgeville in Pretoria.
In September last year, 17 people including 15 women were killed in two mass shootings that took place in close proximity to each other in a remote town in Eastern Cape province.
(with newswires)
