Forensic police teams in South Africa are investigating the deaths of 22 young people in a nightclub and bar in the south coastal city of East London.
Experts have not yet determined the cause of the tragedy that occurred during the celebrations at the end of the school year by teenagers. Locals raised the alarm around 4 a.m., officials said.
Becky Celle, the police minister, tried to calm an angry crowd of relatives and residents at the crime scene in the Enyobeni Tavern in a slum known as Scenery Park.
“We were initially told it was a collision, but it doesn’t seem to have happened,” Sele said.
“I do not want to speculate on the cause of death; so we brought in the senior forensics team so they could let us know if the cause of death was poison. “
Toxicological tests will determine whether the victims were poisoned, officials said.
The exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain unclear. The regional newspaper DispatchLive said its reporters saw bodies “strangely lying, as if they suddenly collapsed on the floor while dancing or in the middle of a conversation, some seemingly in the social circles they deal with” along with “other bodies reclining on chairs. and lie over the tables. “
Unverified photos shared on social media show bodies with no visible signs of injuries lying on the club floor.
The autopsies are expected to give a clearer picture of what happened at the nightclub, which is reported to be very crowded.
East Cape Community and Safety Officer Unati Binkos, speaking from the scene, ruled out a collision as the cause of death.
“It’s hard to believe it’s a collision because there are no visible open wounds to the dead,” Binkose said.
Local television showed police trying to calm a crowd of parents and onlookers gathered in front of the club.
The South African Police Force (SAPS) and forensic experts are working at the scene at the Enyobeni Tavern in East London, South Africa. Photo: EPA
“Parents are gathered here whose children have not slept at home and want to enter the tavern to look for their loved ones,” Binkose said.
He said he understood that the patrons were students, “celebrating dropping pens, a party held after writing [high school] exams ”.
A 17-year-old girl who gave her name only as “Loli” and lived near the tavern said the place was a popular hangout with teenagers, but the community wanted it closed after the tragedy.
“Everyone wants to close it because they sell alcohol to minors. “Everyone is angry, everyone is sad about what happened,” she said.
Many such places exist in both urban and rural areas in South Africa and often disregard licensing laws. Excessive police forces and local government officials often turn a blind eye to such violations of the law, sometimes in exchange for bribes.
Cele said he was told the tavern was known for drinking by minors and told local parents that they should take responsibility for their children.
“We need to check that they are complying with the law, but we as the police are dependent to ensure that this happens. [But] the call is … for parents to see that their children are well supported, the call is for the community to say that we cannot allow our children to die, ”he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the families and said he was concerned about the circumstances in which young people, potentially under the age of 18, were allowed to gather at the tavern. Ramaphosa said in a statement that he should take over the law once the investigations are over.
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