Mass shooting in South Africa leaves 11 dead, including a pregnant woman

Eleven people were killed and three were wounded in a mass shooting late at night in the Kwamakutha area of Durban, in eastern South Africa.

The shooting took place in Kwamakutha, south of Durban, South African television channel eNCA reported, adding that a pregnant woman was among the victims.

“The victims, including a pregnant woman, had gathered in a house on Wednesday shortly before 11 p.m. when armed persons stormed the scene and opened fire,” KwaZulu-Natal Premier Tamsanka Ntuliza said, adding that two people survived the attack.

According to initial reports, two assailants forced their way into the apartment where 14 people were present and opened fire. Ten people died on the spot, while the eleventh victim died of wounds on the way to the hospital.

Before fleeing the scene, the perpetrators set fire to the homeowner’s vehicle.

According to a statement from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Police, preliminary investigations indicated that some of the victims were under surveillance by the Police Intelligence Service in connection with suspected illegal activities, details of which the police could not disclose.

“Although the motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed, the possibility of a conflict between rival groups cannot be ruled out,” the police said in a statement.