Following the pandemonium and chaos about the presence of looters outside a liquor outlet in Mariannhill, on Monday night, police have cleared up the confusion and reported that a 45-year-old was killed in a stampede for expired alcohol that was tossed out.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele said: “… a group of people went to Wiltshire Road in Mariannhill where they helped themselves to liquor that was dumped out of the liquor outlet. It was reported that the expired liquor was put outside after the outlet was cleaned and they were waiting to dispose of it.
The community noticed the liquor and stormed the premises. Public Order Police together with local police dispersed the crowd after they became uncontrollable. During the stampede, a 45-year-old man died at the scene. An inquest was opened for investigation at Mariannhill SAPS.”
Reports of alleged looting flooded social media evoking panic in communities who were panicked about another looting ordeal on the horizon that destabilised KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng last month.
