Seven women and three men from the same family have been shot dead in a horrific mass shooting in South Africa.
According to initial reports, the victims were ambushed by unknown gunmen at the home in the city of Pietermaritzburg, police said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said officers at the Plessislaer police station discovered the gruesome killings early on Friday.
“In the early hours of this morning, police in Plessislaer were informed of gunshots emanating from Imbali, Unit 14,” he said.
“When they attended to the scene, they found 10 members of one family were shot and fatally wounded in one of the homes.”
Police believe that two assailants opened fire on the family, Mr Naicker added.
“It is believed that two unknown gunmen entered the home and opened fire on the family members – seven females and three males.”
He said members of the provincial task team were on the scene “and will take over the investigation”.
“Presently, the motive for the killings is unknown.”
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube condemned the attack and called on police to “leave no stone unturned in finding the perpetrators of this horrendous act”.
Police Minister Bheki Cele was due to visit the homestead on Friday hours after the attackers stormed in.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and there has been a spate of mass shootings in recent years.
Eight people were fatally shot at a birthday party in the south coast city of Gqeberha in January. Last year, 16 died in a mass shooting at a bar in the Johannesburg township of Soweto when a group of armed men, some of them wielding rifles, opened fire on customers.
