Police in South Africa find the ninth body of a woman in the Ekurhuleni municipality east of Johannesburg over the past two months, prompting an investigation into whether the deaths are connected.

Multiple outlets report that the victims are women in their 20s and 30s and that the killings occur on the outskirts of Johannesburg. France 24 and other reports say several bodies show signs of sexual assault, including that some victims were partially undressed, which has heightened public concern. Some outlets also cite a rise in the number of women found dead in the same municipality, with the total at times described as 10 or 11 depending on the reporting timeframe.

Police say they have identified similarities in aspects of the cases but caution that authorities do not yet have conclusive evidence that a single person or group is responsible. The BBC and CBS also note warnings against assuming all deaths are linked. France 24 reports that police offer a monetary reward for information leading to arrests, and the deaths contribute to wider national and international attention on gender-based violence in South Africa.