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Enyobeni Tavern disaster

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2022 East London tavern disaster
Enyobeni Tavern is located in Eastern Cape
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern (Eastern Cape)
Enyobeni Tavern is located in South Africa
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern (South Africa)
Enyobeni Tavern is located in Africa
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern
Enyobeni Tavern (Africa)
Date26 June 2022 (2022-06-26)
Time(UTC+02:00)
LocationEast London, Eastern Cape
South Africa
CauseUnder investigation
Deaths21
Non-fatal injuries4[1]

On 26 June 2022, 21 teenagers died during celebrations at the Enyobeni Tavern, a shebeen in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.[2] Four more people were injured. No official causes of death have been publicly released as of four days after the incident.[2]

Background

The Enyobeni Tavern is a two-storey building located in Scenery Park, East London, Eastern Cape, amidst densely populated residences. The building had received complaints from local residents due to its late opening hours and the noise from the building. Although the legal drinking age in South Africa is eighteen, the tavern reportedly served alcohol to minors.[3]

A promotional Facebook post for the weekend party at the tavern drew media attention after the incident as it concluded with kuzofiwa, which, in a party context, is a slang term for, 'It’s going to be a great time'. Its literal translation in isiXhosa, however, is: 'There is going to be death'.[4][5]

Incident

During a celebration of hlanjwa iphepha ('pens down'), a tradition in South Africa that celebrates the end of school exams, a crowd crush allegedly occurred at the tavern on 26 June 2022.[6] The owner of the bar, Siyakhangela Ngevu, who was not present when the deaths occurred, stated that he had received calls from security at around 1:00 a.m., informing him of people attempting to force their way through a gate outside of the tavern.[7][8] Promise Matinise, the entertainment manager of the tavern, said they had a lack of manpower to deal with overcrowding and that some patrons tried to force their way in.[9] Matinise witnessed people falling while bouncers failed to control the large crowd and stated he contacted the owner upon discovering that the people were dead.[10] Videos of the venue prior to the disaster show that it was packed with young people, with many appearing to be underage.[11]

A 17-year-old patron told Al Jazeera that when the venue became overcrowded, security instructed people to leave, to no avail. The patron stated that a security guard closed the doors and sprayed a chemical into the crowd. The patron said they were unable to breathe and that "we suffocated for a long time and [were] pushing each other but there was no use because some people were dying". The substance reportedly "smelled like gas".[12]

Another 17-year-old recounted: "We were told to wear black and white. It was a DJ's birthday party. While we were sitting inside at around 12:00 a.m., someone sprayed pepper spray and we ran out. We didn't see who sprayed the pepper spray but we were told it was the owner and he wanted us to leave. We left and went to another place. When we came back again, the door was locked and the bouncer wouldn't let us in because it was already packed inside."[13] A 19-year-old eyewitness told Agence France-Presse: "We tried moving through the crowd, shouting 'please let us through’, and others were shouting 'we are dying, guys', and 'we are suffocating' and 'there are people who can't breathe'". She then passed out, describing that "there was a strong smell of some type of spray in the air. We thought it was pepper spray."[13]

At 4:00 a.m., a call was placed by a witness reporting that there were multiple deaths at the tavern.[6] Seventeen victims were found on the floor and on chairs and tables, but with no obvious signs of injury.[14][15] Two victims died at a local clinic, and two more victims died while or after being evacuated to a hospital.[14]

Casualties

Nine girls and twelve boys aged between 13 and 17 died in the disaster.[2] After emergency services were called,[16] four people were taken to hospital, but the cause of deaths and injuries was unclear as of 26 June and an investigation had begun.[17][18]

As of 27 June, four people were hospitalised in a critical condition. Officials urged parents of survivors to take them to hospital for a medical checkup.[1][9]

Investigation

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, an investigation was opened into the probable causes of death of the victims in the incident.[19] Samples from the bodies of the victims were taken to toxicology laboratories in Cape Town for analysis.[20] The South African Police Service released a statement regarding the incident and stated that they would be deploying "maximum resources" to the investigation, and also said the public should not speculate on the cause of death.[2] A police RG-12 (Nyala: a type of armored vehicle) and several officers guarded the tavern scene in the days after the incident to prevent tampering.[21]

A provincial safety officer said that since there were "no visible wounds", the cause of death was likely not a stampede.[22] Unathi Binqose, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape's provincial community safety department, went on to state that they were ruling out a stampede entirely and that the most likely cause of death was poison-related. Binqose pointed out CCTV footage showing hookah pipes at the tavern.[23] Eastern Cape Community Safety MEC, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, ruled out a stampede because "there were three young people who were coming to speak to us when we got to the scene, and they fainted along the way. One of them has since died while en-route to hospital. This means what they consumed remained in their bodies."[24]

On 29 June, news reports said the investigators suspect carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol generator that was operating in the tavern after a power outage in the area. While autopsies have not yet been completed, Solomon Zondi, the chief medical officer at the local mortuary, said the bodies showed signs of "chemical asphyxia".[25] However, a different official in the forensic pathology services said "It is highly unlikely that the cause of death was through fumes from a generator. But we are still waiting for toxicology results."[26]

The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) said it would lay criminal charges against the owner of the Enyobeni Tavern, and revoke the liquor licence of the tavern. Board CEO Nombuyiselo Makala stated that the owner flagrantly violated the Liquor Act by serving alcohol to minors.[27]

Aftermath

The Buffalo City South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) branch and the ANC Scenery Park branch held a meeting on 28 June 2022 following which they held a night vigil in front of the tavern, praying for the deceased as well as sickened victims.[21] Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality provided grave sites free of charge for the victims, and local funeral provider Avbob pledged to donate coffins, transportation, and assist with burial.[13]

Reactions

The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, offered his condolences to the victims of the disaster.[20] Ngevu, who was not present when the deaths occurred, apologised and called for calm. Ngevu stated that he "sympathised with the people who have lost their loved ones" and that it "wasn't my intention for this to happen".[7][8]

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) questioned whether the country learned anything from the 2000 Throb nightclub disaster in Chatsworth, in which 13 children were killed. The NYDA said that at that time people questioned what underage children were doing in a nightclub, and now over twenty years later the country is facing the same type of tragedy with underage children at a nightclub, demonstrating "our lack of progress as a country". The NYDA called for a swift and transparent investigation, and called on parents to work with law enforcement and report such underage activity.[28]

SANCO called on the government to declare Scenery Park a disaster area. Buffalo City regional treasurer Nomthunzi Mbiko said there were prior complaints about the tavern: "We visited the Scenery Park police station many times complaining about the tavern and the ECLB. The police and ECLB must also come forward to explain to us how [they gave] the owner of the tavern the licence and who signed the documents."[21]

The Concerned Tshwane Liquor Traders Association called for enforcement against underage drinking and recommended increasing the legal drinking age from 18 to 21.[29]

References

  1. ^ a b van Zyl, Corné (27 June 2022). "Enyobeni tavern tragedy: Why the death toll could rise [Update]". The South African. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Enyobeni tragedy: Tavern owner to face criminal charges – ECLB". The Citizen. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  3. ^ "South Africa police try to unravel mystery of tavern deaths". BBC. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  4. ^ "'Kuzofiwa' — a party invitation that foreshadowed deaths of 21 at Eastern Cape nightspot". Daily Maverick. 26 June 2022.
  5. ^ "East London tavern 'foreshadowed' deaths – with tragic social media post". The South African. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b Eligon, John (26 June 2022). "At Least 20 Found Dead in South African Tavern, Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  7. ^ a b "'It wasn't my intention for this to happen': Enyobeni tavern owner". The Citizen. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Eastern Cape tavern death toll rises to 20". eNCA. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Six bodies remain unidentified after the Enyobeni tavern tragedy in East London". SABC NEWS. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  10. ^ Maseko, Nomsa (27 June 2022). "SA tavern tragedy: I saw them fall one after another". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  11. ^ "WATCH: East London tavern where 'around 20 people died' was packed to the rafters". The South African. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  12. ^ "'Kuzofiwa' — a party invitation that foreshadowed deaths of 21 at Eastern Cape nightspot".
  13. ^ a b c "Enyobeni tavern survivors tell of horror story". Independent Online. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Enyobeni tavern tragedy: What we know so far". News24. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  15. ^ "22 killed in East London nightclub". The Sowetan. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  16. ^ "East London nightclub deaths: At least 20 people found dead in South African 'tavern'". Sky News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  17. ^ "At least 20 found dead in South Africa nightclub". BBC News. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  18. ^ Johannesburg, Agence France-Presse in (26 June 2022). "Seventeen people found dead in South African nightclub". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  19. ^ "At least 22 young people die in South African tavern". Reuters. Reuters. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  20. ^ a b Rebane, Teele; Kourdi, Eyad (26 June 2022). "South Africa President says 22 killed in South African tavern incident". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "Enyobeni tavern of death owner charged with selling liquor to the underaged". Daily Maverick. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Youngest South Africa tavern victim 13 – minister". BBC. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  23. ^ "South African police believe 21 dead at tavern likely consumed illicit substance". CBC. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Authorities rule out stampede as cause of death in Enyobeni tavern tragedy". Independent Online. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  25. ^ Dayimani, Malibongwe. "Tavern tragedy: Carbon monoxide poisoning suspected". News24. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  26. ^ "BREAKING". DispatchLive. 29 June 2022. {{cite news}}: Text "Generator fumes 'highly unlikely' as cause of death at Enyobeni Tavern" ignored (help)
  27. ^ "E Cape Liquor Board says Enyobeni tavern owner will face criminal charges". SABC News. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  28. ^ "NYDA likens Enyobeni tavern tragedy to 2000 incident when 13 children died in Throb nightclub in Chatsworth". The Sowetan. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  29. ^ "Call to enforce underage drinking laws after Enyobeni tavern tragedy". Independent Online. 30 June 2022.
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