Eleven people killed including pregnant woman in mass shooting in South Africa

Eleven people killed including pregnant woman in mass shooting in South Africa The victims were reportedly having a party when armed gunmen stormed the home - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Eleven people have been killed following a mass shooting at a house in Durban, South Africa. Police said armed men stormed the residential building where a party was taking place at around 11pm local time on Tuesday, in the KwaMakhutha township. Ten people were killed at the scene including a woman who is believed to have been pregnant, according to police. Another four were taken to hospital where one person succumbed to their injuries. The South African Police Service has launched a manhunt in a bid to locate the suspects. The motive of the shooting has not been confirmed but police said they could not rule out a “feud between rival groupings”. They added that initial reports suggest that three male suspects carried out the attack. They said that some of the victims were known to authorities in connection with illegal activity but did not want to “divulge at the moment to protect the investigations, which have been launched”. “Information available at this stage suggests that 13 men and one woman, who is believed to be pregnant, were reportedly having a party inside a house when three men arrived and opened fire on them," the police said in a statement. The premier of the city’s KwaZulu-Natal province said that “the incident has left the community in profound shock and grief”. Images from the scene of the incident show the remains of a burnt-out white vehicle reportedly belonging to one of the victims, which South Africa’s eNCA channel said was set alight by one of the gunmen. Other photos shared by police in the aftermath of the shooting show police tape cordoning off the area to the public. South Africa has received international media attention after a string of murders over the last two months in the eastern part of the city of Johannesburg. A ninth body was discovered last week raising concerns about the safety of women across the country. While statistics released by the South African Police Service appear to show a declining rate of murders overall. the Institute for Security Studies noted that the homicide levels still remains “extremely high by international standards, and far too many lives are lost through murder in South Africa each year”. According to the ISS, 73 per cent of the 19,427 serious assaults reported to police in the first quarter of 2026 took place in people’s homes and is considered to be an underestimate. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments