JOHANNESBURG: Seventeen people were killed in mass shootings at two homes in a village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, police confirmed on Saturday, saying they had launched a manhunt for the suspects responsible for the horrific attack.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said that the victims included 15 women and two men, with 13 people killed in one house and four others in another nearby homestead.
Among those killed in the first house were 12 women and one man, while three women and one man were killed in the second house. “In one house 13 people were killed, which included 12 women and one man. In another homestead, four people were also killed.”
The motive for the shootings remains unclear. “We are investigating all possible leads, and a manhunt for the suspects is underway,” police said in a statement.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with around 20,000 murders recorded annually, despite having a population of over 60 million.
