JOHANNESBURG, Dec 21 — A group of armed men killed nine people and injured 10 others during an early-morning shooting at a tavern in a township near Johannesburg, police said Sunday.
The attack took place just before 1 a.m. at a licensed tavern in Bekkersdal, southwest of the city, the South African Police Service said.
Police said approximately 12 suspects arrived at the scene in two vehicles — a white minibus and a silver sedan — and opened fire on patrons.
“They shot at people inside the tavern and continued firing as they escaped,” police said.
The wounded were taken to hospitals for treatment, police added.
No arrests had been made as of Sunday, and authorities said a search was underway for the suspects.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear and will be determined through investigation, police said.
Bekkersdal forms part of the Rand West City municipality and has long struggled with economic hardship linked to the decline of gold mining in the area.
