Cape Town, June 27: Children as young as 13 years old were among the twenty-two people found dead at an East London nightclub in South Africa during the early hours of Sunday morning. National police minister Bheki Cele said that even though he could not yet say what happened at the venue, some of the victims of the incident were only 13 years old, CNN reported.

Cele added that samples from the bodies will be taken to toxicology labs in Cape Town for more advanced analysis. Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

"While the President awaits more information on the incident, his thoughts are with the families who have lost children as well as families who are awaiting confirmation of how their children may have been affected," CNN reported quoting a statement from the presidency. South Africa: 17 People Found Dead at Nightclub in East London.

The statement added that President Ramaphosa expects the law to take its course following investigations into the tragedy. Twenty-two people were found dead at an East London nightclub in South Africa, reported local media. As the brutal scene unfolded on Sunday morning, agitated messages started coming in large numbers, requesting police, metro and ambulance assistance at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park.

The cause of the deaths is unknown as the case is under investigation. However, there have been speculations that the patrons were either exposed to some form of poison or an incident resulted in a large number being injured and killed in a stampede, reported DispatchLive, a South African daily.

According to South African daily, several bodies were found dispersed, lying across tables, chairs and on the floor with no obvious signs of injury. Grief-stricken parents and family members were observed begging to enter the premises while calling out the names of their missing loved ones, the local media added. The investigation is still ongoing.

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