Credited from: LEMONDE
At least **11 people** were killed in a mass shooting late Tuesday at a house party in the KwaMakhutha township near **Durban**, South Africa. Among the deceased is a **pregnant woman**. The local premier, **Thamsanqa Ntuli**, reported that assailants entered the premises shortly before 11 PM and opened fire, leading to **10 fatalities** at the scene, with one more dying later at the hospital. The local media confirmed that two individuals survived the attack, according to BBC, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera.
Witnesses reported that the attackers forced everyone into a single room before opening fire and subsequently set fire to a vehicle belonging to one of the victims. Ntuli conveyed the community's shock, emphasizing, "The incident has left the community in profound shock and grief." The police hinted at possible connections to illegal activities, stating that some victims were **on the Crime Intelligence radar**, although they could not confirm the motive, noting that rival group feuds could be involved, according to BBC, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera.
This tragic event underscores the ongoing violence in South Africa, a country struggling with one of the **highest murder rates** globally, averaging about **60 murders daily** in a population of roughly **62 million**. Rampant crime and gang activity have prompted governmental attempts to address the issue, with the deployment of soldiers to crime hotspots, as noted by the premier and highlighted in reports by all three sources, BBC, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera.