Families and concerned locals gather outside the Enyobeni tavern, shortly after 21 teenagers died in mysterious circumstances – Image via Facebook: Sfiso Fistaz Dlamini
Enyobeni tavern tragedy: Did load shedding contribute to teens’ deaths?
There has been mystery surrounding what exactly killed the 21 teenagers who were partying inside the Enyobeni tavern in East London.
Families and concerned locals gather outside the Enyobeni tavern, shortly after 21 teenagers died in mysterious circumstances – Image via Facebook: Sfiso Fistaz Dlamini
As more information emerges surrounding the deaths of 21 teenagers at Enyobeni tavern in East London, it has now been learnt that load shedding may have also played a part in the tragedy.
Carbon monoxide has reportedly been identified as the cause, but this will only become clear when the toxicology report is revealed by Thursday, 30 June 2022. The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) has already moved to shut down the Enyobeni tavern, but parents and community members have said this is not enough and want the owners prosecuted.
“Necessary steps are being taken to deal with this liquor outlet including the immediate revocation of the liquor license and laying criminal charges against the license holder for the blatant contravention of the Eastern Cape Liquor Act that clearly stipulates that no alcohol shall be sold to persons under the age of 18,” said the board’s CEO Dr Nombuyiselo Makala.
ENYOBENI TAVERN TRAGEDY: TEENS MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED BY ‘TOXIC FUMES’
For now, the Eastern Cape Department of Health is still awaiting toxicology results which will shed some light on what exactly caused the deaths of the teens at Enyobeni tavern. News24 has cited sources as saying that the youngsters could have been killed by toxic fumes that may have emanated from a petrol generator that was suspected to have been used inside the tavern.
There is no word on whether the generator was on or off during the incident, but witnesses and survivors who were at the tavern revealed that power the electricity gone off at the venue, although there was no load shedding schedule.
But TimesLive has cited a senior official in the same department’s forensic pathology services as having said: “It is highly unlikely the cause of death was fumes from a generator. However, we are waiting for toxicology results.”
If there is any truth to the report, the fatalities would prove to be one of the most painful tragedies to ever arise from the current load shedding crisis.
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