Night of blood: Attackers go from house to house and shoot 18 people

Lusikisiki (South Africa) - Bloodbath in South Africa: the bodies of 18 people have been found in a village in the east of the country. They all died from shots fired at close range.

Investigators at the crime scene: The manhunt for the murderers is in full swing.
Investigators at the crime scene: The manhunt for the murderers is in full swing.  © South African Police Service

It was a veritable bloodbath that took place on Saturday night.

The bodies of 18 people were found in two homesteads in the village of Ngobozana, reports The Citizen newspaper.

Those killed all belonged to the same extended family, reports Dispatch Live. They were meeting to prepare for a funeral ceremony scheduled for the next day. But that was not to happen - the killers were completely merciless.

They shot four people in the first house, then walked down the street and entered a second estate, where they went from building to building and murdered 14 people.

A total of 16 women and two men lost their lives in the night of blood in Ngobozana. Teenagers and children are also said to be among the victims.

Ngobozana massacre: where are the perpetrators?

In the tranquil village of Ngobozana, there is only sadness.
In the tranquil village of Ngobozana, there is only sadness.  © South African Police Service

"We heard shots and doors being kicked in. We tried to hide and three people were shot. We are still traumatized," a survivor of the massacre told the SABC television station.

Four women, one man and a two-month-old baby survived.

Who the killers were and why they murdered is still completely unclear. What is certain is that the perpetrators escaped after the bloodbath. A nationwide manhunt is underway for them.

South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has vowed that no stone will be left unturned in the search for the shooters. "Maximum resources" will be mobilized to fully solve the "completely senseless crime".

South Africa has been suffering from an enormously high murder rate for years. In 2022 alone, more than 27,000 people lost their lives in violence. In Germany, 211 people were murdered in the same period.