The management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has ordered a high-level investigation into the tragic deaths of 21 teenagers at a local tavern in Scenery Park, East London.

Police from Scenery Park station received reports about the lifeless bodies of the teenagers at a local tavern on Sunday morning at about 04:00.

SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says: “Upon arrival police found seventeen bodies inside the building. It was later established two more died at a local clinic, one died en-route to hospital and another died in hospital.”

Nine of the deceased are female while twelve of the deceased are male.

On Sunday, Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola led a high-level delegation of crime scene experts to the scene.

The team included bomb disposal technicians from the National Headquarters of the Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management Component to complement and support the Eastern Cape Crime Scene Investigation teams.

The Minister engaged with residents and parents of the deceased at the local mortuary where the process to identify the victims was underway. He called on residents and affected families to allow police investigations to unfold.

“We have an experienced team that is complementing the provincial team to ensure that we get to the bottom of what has led to the death of these young people. We are also engaging other stakeholders to investigate issues of compliance to liquor legislation,” said the Minister.

Police have registered an inquest into the deaths. – SAnews.gov.za