Police have confirmed that gunmen killed 10 members of the same family on Friday, April 21, in Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal province (KZN), South Africa.

Police said that a boy aged 13 was one of the victims killed by gunmen.

In a Friday, April 21, statement, the South African Ministry of Police stated that "according to initial reports, unknown gunmen stormed a Pietermaritzburg homestead and ambushed the family,".

South Africa has been rocked by several mass shootings in recent months, which some say are related to taxi business violence, while others appear to be linked to drug cartels.

When police arrived at the scene, 12 people were confirmed dead. 11 others were taken to hospital with wounds but two later died, raising the death toll to 14

The mayor of the area told local media that they needed to bolster local police stations.

National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said;

“Two suspects (have been) arrested, one dead, another fled the scene. Police are on a manhunt,” she said, adding that three firearms were recovered from the suspects during a shootout.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to police statistics.