Shafaq News/ At least 17 people were found dead in a South African tavern early on Sunday morning, officials said.

“The South African Police Service confirms that about 17 people were found dead inside a local tavern in Scenery Park in the area of East London,” Police Spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said. “We received this report in the early hours of this morning. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. We do not want to make any speculation at this stage as our investigations are continuing.”

Police were notified at about 4 a.m. local time, Kinana said, and were combing the scene for evidence midday. Scenery Park is in East London, a city in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province.

Kinana said the dead were between 18 and 20 years old.