Two mass shootings have killed at least 27 people in South Africa, with gunmen targeting bars near Johannesburg and Cape Town within five days of each other.
Police hunt for gunmen
Police said the two shootings do not appear to be connected. Officers have deployed specialised units to the affected townships and nearby areas to find the suspects.
No arrests have been made.
Video from one of the scenes showed people dancing and singing in a crowded outdoor area. A burst of gunfire then rang out, followed by screams, according to Reuters news agency.
Witness Kamvalethu Galada told Reuters she initially thought the sound was fireworks. She continued dancing until people began dropping to the ground.
“After we were lying on the floor we just heard gunshots continuously, and then probably after like 10 to 20, 15 minutes, everyone stood up trying to… run away.”
She added: “Bodies were lying around us, bodies lying on top of other people that are literally alive.”
Police are still investigating the motives behind the attacks. Initial findings suggest one shooting may involve a turf war between illegal miners, while the other could stem from a business rivalry.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said police had images of suspects in the Wedela shooting. He said officers were working to track them down.
11 killed five days earlier
The latest attacks came five days after another mass shooting in KwaMakhutha, about 30km south of Durban.
Three men opened fire at a property, killing 11 people. Police have not reported any arrests in that case.
South Africa has long recorded a high murder rate. Experts say mass shootings have also become more common in recent years.
They link the trend to organised crime gangs and failures in policing.
Ramaphosa said after the latest shootings: “This cannot go on like this. This is the level of criminality that we must bring down, and our security forces are now going to continue pulling out all stops.”
Police statistics show South Africa recorded an average of nearly 60 homicides a day between April and June this year.
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