Gunmen Kill 11 at Durban Township House Party; Manhunt Underway in South Africa

At least 11 people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a gathering at a house in KwaMakhutha, a township south of the coastal city of Durban, late on Tuesday night.

Police said the attackers shot at 14 people. Ten died at the scene, while four were taken to hospital, where one later died from their injuries. A manhunt has been launched for the suspects, who were reported to be carrying pistols and rifles.

In a statement, police said information available at this stage suggested that 13 men and one woman, believed to be pregnant, were reportedly having a party inside the house when three men arrived and opened fire on them. The woman is among those who died.

The motive for the shooting has not been confirmed. Police said they could not rule out a "feud between rival groupings," and that some of those killed were on their watch in connection with illegal activities. They said they could not disclose further details at the moment in order to protect the investigations that have been launched.

A reporter for the television channel eNCA, at the scene, said the gunmen set fire to a vehicle belonging to one of the victims before fleeing. Footage showed the burnt-out car.

The killings add to concern about violent crime in South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Police data indicate a rate equivalent to more than 60 deaths a day.

In recent weeks, the discovery of at least nine murdered women, some of whose bodies were dumped by the roadside, has heightened fears across the country. Last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.

Rivalry among criminal gangs, often linked to turf wars, drug trafficking and illegal mining, is common in South Africa and frequently drives violence within communities. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime as "the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development," as he announced that the army would be deployed to support the police.

Although South Africa has long recorded a high murder rate, mass shootings are a more recent problem and tend to intensify public feelings of unsafety, fear and shock. The trend has led to calls for the government and law enforcement authorities to do more to dismantle organised crime networks and, in some cases, "murder for hire" syndicates, which are believed to be among the leading instigators of such attacks. There have also been calls to improve the economic conditions that make crime an attractive option for some.

There are no simple answers to South Africa's crime problem. Security experts point to the widespread availability of illegal firearms, insufficient visible policing in high-crime areas and the slow pace of the justice system as factors that add to a pervasive sense among residents that local authorities are losing the fight against crime.