At least 17 people have been found dead in a nightclub in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, local media reports.
As reported by Sky News, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana revealed to the Newzroom Afrika rolling news channel that at least 17 people were found dead on Sunday (June 26) at the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, near East London.
Police and paramedics were dispatched to the scene.
Other reports say the death toll is as high as 22, with CNN adding that local police have been unable to determine if there were any survivors as it's unclear how many people were in the club to begin with.
Kinana added that young adults aged between 18 and 20 were among the dead, adding: "The [South African Police Service] confirms an incident where people were found dead in a tavern in Scenery Park in the area of East London.
"We received this report in the early hours of Sunday. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation as we speak."
The Mirror reports that the bodies were found "strewn across tables" with "no obvious sign of injury", per South African news service Dispatch Live. Family members of those found in the nightclub were reportedly standing outside of the venue shouting the names of their loved ones.
"Substance exposure" - such as a gas leak - has been reported as a potential cause of death, with Sky News also stating that those in the nightclub may have "died during a stampede".
However, Brigadier Kinana later told Reuters that "the circumstances under which they died are under investigation".
"We do not want to make any speculation at this stage, our investigation is continuing," he told Newzroom Afrika.
The Mirror add that the Enyobeni Tavern is a popular club in the Scenery Park area of South Africa, East London.
Originally named Port Rex, the port city was renamed in the mid-19th century to pay homage to England's capital.
