South African police believe 21 dead at tavern likely consumed illicit substance

South African authorities investigating 21 youngsters discovered useless at an east coast tavern over the weekend mentioned on Monday the youths had been in all probability killed by one thing they ate, drank or smoked, ruling out the earlier-touted chance of a stampede.

The still-unexplained deaths of the kids, a few of whom had been celebrating the tip of college exams and others a party, have introduced an outpouring of grief and shocked a nation.

“It’s both one thing they ingested, which is able to level to poisoning, whether or not it is meals or drinks, or it’s one thing they inhaled,” Unathi Binqose, spokesperson for the Japanese Cape’s provincial neighborhood security division, mentioned by phone on Monday. He mentioned hookah pipes had been seen in CCTV footage of the scene.

“We’re ruling out a stampede fully,” he additionally mentioned, after preliminary media studies urged this may be a attainable reason behind the deaths. Police mentioned 21 had died, one fewer than initially thought.

Victims as younger as 13

Japanese Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana informed Reuters that the youngest of the victims was a 13-year-old woman.

Addressing a crowd exterior a mortuary in East London on Sunday, an emotional Police Minister Bheki Cele needed to pause talking as he began weeping, triggering a refrain of cries amongst his viewers.

Photos circulating on social media since Sunday, nonetheless unverified by the authorities, confirmed the our bodies of youths mendacity scattered throughout the ground of the tavern, some additionally seen immobile on tables and couches.

Authorities are anticipated to provide a toxicology report as a part of the investigation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned on Sunday he was anxious concerning the circumstances beneath which younger individuals, no less than some beneath the age of 18 years, had been allowed to collect on the tavern. It’s unlawful to serve drinks to these beneath 18 in South Africa.

The tavern in query had its liquor licence revoked on Monday, Mgwebi Msiya, spokesperson for the Japanese Cape Liquor Board, mentioned.

“We’re on our strategy to the tavern now to serve them with that suspension letter. We would like them to cease buying and selling instantly,” he mentioned.