At least 17 killed in 2 mass shootings in the same town in South Africa; search underway for suspects

Seventeen people were killed in two mass shootings that took place in close proximity to each other in a rural town in South Africa, police said Saturday.

A search was underway for the suspects, national police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said in a statement. The victims were 15 women and two men, she said. One other person was in critical condition in the hospital.

The shootings took place Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa. Video released by police showed that the shootings occurred at two houses in the same neighborhood, which is a collection of rural homesteads on the outskirts of the town.

Twelve women and a man were killed in one house and three women and a man were killed in the other house, police said.

Four women, one man and a 2-month-old baby survived.

"A manhunt has been launched to apprehend those behind these heinous killings," Mathe said.

Local media reported that the people were attending a family gathering at the time of the shooting, but the motive for the killings remains unknown.

Police minister Senzo Mchunu told a media briefing on Saturday that a team of detectives and forensic experts had been deployed.

"We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals. Either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves," Mchunu said.

South Africa, a country of 62 million, recorded 12,734 homicides in the first six months of this year, according to official crime statistics from the police. That's an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the biggest cause of deaths in those cases.

Firearm laws are reasonably strict in South Africa, but authorities have often pointed to the large number of illegal, unregistered guns in circulation as a major problem.

Mass shootings have become increasingly common in recent years, sometimes targeting people in their homes.

Last year, seven women and three men – all from the same family – were fatally shot outside the South African city of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, police said. The youngest victim was a 13-year-old boy.