Seventeen people have been killed in a mass shooting in a remote South African town with a manhunt underway to find the perpetrators, police say.

Two homesteads in the town of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape were targeted, police said, with 12 women and one man killed in one location, and three women and one man at a second location.

An 18th victim is in a critical condition in hospital, the South Africa Police Service said.

The police ministers and commissioner are due to give a national briefing at 13:00 Saturday local time (12:00 BST).

South African media outlets are reporting the victims were relatives and neighbours in Nyathi village, Ngobozana in Lusikisiki.

They said the group had been gathered at the houses to prepare to attend a traditional mourning ceremony when they were attacked on Friday night.

News outlet Dispatch Live quoted local Ingquza Hil mayor Nonkosi Pepping saying: “The gunmen came and shot randomly killing everyone. Women and children were also killed in the bloody shooting.

“This has left the community terrified.”