IN PICTURES: Xenophobic violence in South Africa

At least five people have been killed and hundreds forced to flee their homes in one of South Africa’s worst outbreaks of xenophobic violence in years.

Most of the recent unrest occurred in and around the coastal city of Durban, where police said two foreigners and three South Africans were killed. The dead included a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly shot during looting on Monday night and died at a hospital, police colonel Jay Naicker said.

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A taxi driver holds bricks in his hands on April 15, 2015 during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District. AFP PHOTO

A man runs with a stone in his hand during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District on April 15, 2015. AFP PHOTO

A local taxi driver is pushed around during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District. AFP PHOTO

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A local taxi driver is pushed around during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District . AFP PHOTO

A local taxi driver pelts with stones a man on the ground during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District. AFP PHOTO

Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) protect foreign nationals before escorting them to safety after a xenophobic attack in Durban.  AFP PHOTO