South African authorities investigating the mysterious death of at least 21 teenagers at a township tavern over the weekend said on Monday that the youths were probably killed by something they ate, drank or smoked, ruling out the possibility of a stampede, reported The CGTN Africa.
“It is either something they ingested which will point to poisoning, whether its food or drinks, or it is something they inhaled,” Unathi Binqose, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape’s provincial community safety department said on Monday.
He said the investigators found hookah pipes visible in CCTV footage of the scene. The police found the bodies lying on tables, slumped over chairs and sprawled on the floor of the club on Sunday morning.
The deceased include at least nine girls and 12 boys. The youngest of the victims was a 13-year-old girl. As per reports, some of the dead were also students celebrating the end of mid-year exams.
Mr Binqose ruled out a stampede completely, after initial media reports suggested this might be a possible cause of the deaths. The South African police have sent forensic samples from the victims to a toxicology laboratory to investigate if the teens ingested a poison or a toxin at the party.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is attending the G7 summit in Germany, sent his condolences On Sunday. He said he was worried about the circumstances under which such young people, at least some under the age of 18, were allowed to gather at a tavern as it is illegal to serve drinks to under-18s in South Africa.
Mgwebi Msiya, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, said the tavern in question had its liquor license revoked on Monday.
“We are on our way to the tavern now to serve them with that suspension letter,” he said.
The South African authorities are now considering whether to revise liquor licensing regulations. South Africa is among the countries in Africa where most alcohol is consumed.
