South Africa: At least 11 dead in shooting at workers' hostel
"A total of 25 people were shot," of whom 14 were hospitalized, police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said.
A South African Police Service officer-File Image.
Gunmen stormed a workers' hostel in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, on Saturday and killed at least 11 people, including a 3-year-old boy, police said. The dead also included a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old girl.
According to authorities, 10 people died at the scene, in the township of Saulsville, about 11 miles west of Pretoria, while another person died in hospital.
"A total of 25 people were shot," of whom 14 were hospitalized, police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said. "A really unfortunate incident. The police were only alerted to this event at around six o'clock," she added.
It is the latest in a series of shootings that have shocked this country of 63 million people weighed down by crime.
In cold blood
The incident occurred when three gunmen burst into the venue at around 4:30 a.m. (local time) and shot indiscriminately at a group of individuals who were drinking. So far the motives for the shooting are unknown and no arrests have been made.
South Africa, the continent's most industrialized country, struggles with deep-rooted crime and corruption, encouraged by criminal organizations. According to police data, between April and September this year an average of 63 people were killed every day in the country.
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