South Africa: Fifteen shot dead in Soweto township bar

Police say at least 15 people were shot dead in a bar in the South African town of Soweto.

Police say gunmen entered the Orlando East Tour early Sunday morning and opened fire on a group of teenagers.

Then he fled the scene in a white minibus.  Police said the motive for the attack was not established.

The condition of several others in hospital is critical, according to BBC correspondent Nomsa Maseko.

The victims are said to be between 19 and 35 years old.

Lieutenant-General Elias Muela, Gauteng County Police Chief, told the BBC that the shooting appeared to be a "cold-blooded attack on the guards of the Innocent Hotel".

A press release from his office said the gunmen were armed with 9mm rifles and pistols when they entered the bar.

He said the police are looking for the suspects, whose identities have not been known.

Four more people were killed in a shooting at a separate hotel in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, police said Sunday.

Shooting is not uncommon in South Africa.  They are often associated with gangs or alcohol.

But this is an unusually high death toll and comes shortly after the deaths of 21 teenagers in another East London pub who were believed to have been gassed or poisoned.