South Africa police try to unravel mystery of tavern deaths

south africa

Yellow police tape now cordons off the drinking place in the South African city of East London where 21 teenagers died in unexplained circumstances.  A forensic team has been going through the site at the Enyobeni Tavern to try to understand what exactly took place. There were no visible injuries on the bodies of the deceased, the authorities have said, so a crush seems an unlikely explanation. Some have said the victims were poisoned, but this is not confirmed. South Africa’s liquor board has said the owners of the tavern would face criminal charges after allegedly breaching licensing agreements. Some family members of the victims have been gathering at the tavern to try and find out the latest news. Among them was Xolile Malangeni. His 17-year-old daughter, Sinako, snuck out of her home on Saturday night but never returned. “[She] always loved and took care of me when I was ill,” her father told the BBC with tears in his eyes. The youngest of those who died was 13 and the oldest was 17, according to Police Minister Bheki Cele – but a detailed list of the victims has not yet been produced. The minimum drinking age in South Africa is 18, so they should not have been allowed in.(BBC)…[+]