17 People Found Dead In South African Nightclub

The bodies of at least 17 young people were discovered at a nightclub in a township in the city of East London in South Africa’s southern province on Sunday, according to the police.

Thembinkosi Kinana, a provincial police spokesperson brigadier said, “We got a report about 17 (people) that died in a local tavern in Scenery Park which is based in East London.”

“We are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

He stated that the victims were between the ages of 18 and 20 years old.

Speaking from the scene, an official from the Eastern Cape provincial community and safety department, Unathi Binqose, ruled out a stampede as the cause of deaths.

“It’s difficult to believe it’s a stampede as there are no visible open wounds to those dead,” said Binqose.

A regional local newspaper, DispatchLive, reported “bodies are lying strewn across tables, chairs and on the floor; with no obvious signs of injury”.

Unverified photos posted on social media showed victims lying on the club floor without any visible signs of injuries.

Local TV showed police officers trying to calm down a crowd of parents and other people who had gathered outside the club in the city, which is on the Indian Ocean coast and about 620 miles (1,00km) south of Johannesburg.

According to Binqose, “Parents whose children did not sleep home are gathered here and they want to enter the tavern to look for their loved ones.”

He stated that he understood the revellers were students “celebrating pens down, a party held after writing (high school) exams”.