South Africa seeks clues after 21 teens die in packed bar

Seventeen died inside the bar, while four died in hospital. Thirty-one others were hospitalised with symptoms including backache, tight chests, vomiting and headache, officials said

South African police were on Monday combing a township tavern where 21 teenagers mysteriously died as survivors described a battle to escape the jam-packed premises and one reported a suffocating smell.

Officials have ruled out a stampede as the cause of the deaths. Most of the victims, some as young as 13, were found dead inside a popular bar in the southern city of East London.

Seventeen died inside the bar, while four died in hospital. Thirty-one others were hospitalised with symptoms including backache, tight chests, vomiting and headache, officials said.

Most were discharged on Sunday, leaving two in hospital, they said. The fatalities bore no visible signs of injury, sparking initial speculation among local officials and politicians that this was a case of under-age drinking that went tragically wrong.

"But the suspicion is that it is something either they ingested through drinks, food, or something they inhaled," Unathi Binqose, a government official on safety, told AFP.

New details also emerged Monday as survivors spoke of a strong and suffocating smell in the jam-packed double-storey building.

Sinovuyo Monyane, 19, who was hired by the bar to promote an alcohol brand, said she was still "confused" but felt lucky to be alive. She said she struggled to escape through a door gridlocked with people.