Those who died are thought to be aged between 18 and 20, or possibly even younger
At least 22 people have been found dead inside a nightclub in South Africa, health officials have confirmed.
Emergency services were called to the Enyobeni Tavern in the early hours of Sunday morning, local newspaper
Daily Dispatch reports. The club is located on the edge of East London - a city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Speaking on behalf of police, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said officers were made aware of the incident by members of the public.
"The circumstances under which they died are under investigation," he told
Reuters.
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Those who died were aged between 18 and 20-years-old, the Brigadier said, but other reports suggest they could've been even younger. Some of the people at the club were attending a party to celebrate end of winter school exams,
Associate Press reports.
The bodies will be transported to state mortuaries where relatives are expected to help identify victims.
Siyanda Manana, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape provincial health department, told Reuters: "We are going to immediately be embarking on autopsies so we can know the probable cause of death. We are talking 22 bodies right now."
The owner of the club, Siyakhangela Ndevu, told local broadcaster eNCA that he had been called to the scene early in the morning.
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The incident happened at a club around 3 kilometres from the city centre of East London, South Africa (Photo: Google Maps)[/caption]
He said: "I am still uncertain about what really happened, but when I was called in the morning I was told the place was too full and that some people were trying to force their way into the tavern. However, we will hear what the police say about the cause of death."
But speaking from the scene, Eastern Cape provincial community and safety department official, Unathi Binqose, ruled out a stampede as a cause of the deaths.
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"It’s difficult to believe it’s a stampede as there are no visible open wounds to those dead," Binqose told The Guardian.
"Parents whose children did not sleep home are gathered here and they want to enter the tavern to look for their loved ones," he added.
Regional newspaper, DispatchLIVE, reported that "bodies are lying strewn across tables, chairs and on the floor; with no obvious signs of injury".
Images circulating social media show bodies lying on the floor of the club with no visible sign of injuries - though these photos are not verified.
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