Durban - One man was left dead and another, fighting for his life after a violent mob turned on the pair in Pinetown, Durban, on Tuesday afternoon.
Witnesses said the two men who were attacked, were thought to have abducted a child.
A source, however, said the child in question might just have gotten lost.
Hundreds of people first swooped on the men in Stanfield Lane and when they tried to flee, the group rolled their car.
The scene in Ptn, where today 1 man was killed & another injured when a mob turned on them, thinking they were kidnappers @TheMercurySA @IOL pic.twitter.com/bMtU4czDJd
— Bernadette Wolhuter (@bernwolhuter) September 5, 2017
One of the men attempted to make a run for it but a breakaway group gave chase and cornered him in Hill Street. By the time police reached him, he was dead.
Apparently the group that had remained in Stanfield Lane, was trying to set their victim there on fire when authorities arrived.
They dispersed the crowd and rushed the man to hospital.
Initial reports suggested the men might have been foreign nationals but witnesses said they were from Gauteng.
Attempts to reach police spokespeople for comment were on Tuesday evening, unsuccessful.