Johannesburg – A father and son walked into a Port Elizabeth pharmacy on Monday and asked for help in committing suicide, Eastern Cape police said.

The 53-year-old man and his 19-year-old son entered the Seaview pharmacy around midday and demanded that the staff give them injections to commit suicide, police spokesperson Stanley Jarvis said.

“They gave them two injections, but these were just tranquillisers.”

After taking the medication the men allowed staff to leave the pharmacy.

“It is only the two of them who are left inside the shop,” said Jarvis.

Witnesses informed police that one of the men was carrying a gun while the other had an explosive device.

The two had not made any demands, except that police should not enter the shop.

The rest of the complex was also evacuated.

“We are trying to resolve the situation without anyone getting hurt,” said Jarvis.

It was unclear why the father and son wanted to commit suicide.

– SAPA