Article author:
Reuters
Cape Town — South African officials investigating 21 teenagers who died in a tavern on the east coast over the weekend may have been killed by a young man eating, drinking or smoking on Monday. Said there is. ..
The unexplained deaths of teens are celebrating the end of school exams, while others are celebrating birthday parties.
"It's an indication of addiction or inhalation, whether it's food or drink," said a safety spokesman for the Eastern Cape community. The Unathi Binqose department said on the phone on Monday. He said the water giselle pipe is shown in the CCTV footage of the scene.
"We have completely eliminated stampede," he added, after initial media coverage suggested that this might be a possible cause of death. According to police, 21 people have died, one less than originally thought.
Brigadier General Tenbin Koshikinana, a spokesman for the Eastern Cape State Police, told Reuters that the youngest of the victims was a 13-year-old girl.
When talking to a crowd outside the funeral hall in East London on Sunday, emotional police minister Bheki Cele had to stop talking when he started crying, among the audience. Caused a chorus of screams.
Photos that have been circulating on social media since Sunday show the bodies of young people lying scattered on the floor of a tavern, although not yet confirmed by authorities. increase.
Authorities are expected to produce a toxicology report as part of the investigation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that he was worried about the situation where young people under the age of 18 were allowed to gather in taverns. It is illegal to serve drinks to people under the age of 18 in South Africa.
The tavern in question had its liquor license revoked on Monday, said Mgwebi Msiya, a spokesman for the Eastern Cape Liquor Commission.
"We are now heading to the tavern and offering them a letter of suspension. We want to stop trading immediately." (Report by Wendell Roelf, written by Tim Cocks, edited by Peter Graff)
