South African police are investigating the deaths of at least 20 people at a nightclub in the coastal city of east London on Sunday morning.
It is unclear what caused the deaths of the young people, who are said to have attended a party to celebrate the end of the winter school exams.
The local newspaper Daily Dispatch reported that the bodies were scattered around tables and chairs in the Enyobeni tavern with no visible signs of injuries.
Orderly autopsies
“At this time we cannot confirm the cause of death,” health department spokeswoman Siyanda Manana said.
“We will do the autopsies as soon as possible to establish the probable cause of death. The dead have been taken to state funeral homes.”
People are behind a police cordon outside the nightclub where police are investigating the deaths of at least 20 young people. (Associated Press)
Police Minister Bheki Cele was expected to visit the site on Sunday.
The owner of the club, Siyakhangela Ndevu, told local channel eNCA that he had been called to the scene on Sunday morning.
“I’m still not sure what really happened, but when they called me in the morning, they told me the place was too crowded and that some people were trying to get quite into the tavern,” he said.
“However, we will hear what the police have to say about the cause of death.”