The death of youngsters at a popular nightclub outside the city of east London has sparked an outpouring of grief in a poor community, while some relatives of the victims have expressed anger that weeks of Calls for the tavern to close went unheeded. All were teenagers, the youngest being a 13-year-old girl. There were also several survivors, some of whom were taken to hospital and others unharmed.
A spokesperson for the forensic team declined to comment on any aspect of the investigation until the final report is released.
The Eastern Cape provincial government said in a statement that “autopsies have been performed on the 21 young men who died and samples have been sent to a laboratory … for investigation.”
The incident is still shrouded in mystery. Investigators combed through the scene for clues as to how the youngsters died. Authorities had previously ruled out a stampede, saying they were likely accidentally poisoned by something they ate, drank or smoked.
However, the source, who declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media, told Reuters by telephone that investigators were currently working on the theory that the youths were poisoned by gas in a room in the ground floor which was poorly ventilated.
He added that tests were being carried out to determine if the deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly due to the burning of propane gas or another petroleum product inside the pub.
A strange chemical smell emanated from the bodies when they were dissected, the source said, but it was unclear what product it was. Police were examining all devices at the venue, he added.
The Eastern Cape Health Department was quoted in local media on Tuesday as saying some of the victims admitted to hospital were complaining of symptoms including chest pain and back pain.
TV channels showed a handful of angry residents of the Scenery Park area where the deaths occurred, protesting outside the tavern, whose license was revoked on Monday.