Tanzanian police are investigating five men caught in a viral video allegedly raping a young woman, sparking an uproar in the East African state.
Security forces have not yet commented on allegations that the suspects were soldiers.
Police said their investigations were “progressing well” but did not confirm reports that arrests had been made.
They denied that the young woman had died after the ordeal, describing the allegations as “falsehoods”.
“This young woman is very safe,” police said in a statement posted on X.
In a separate post, police warned the public against sharing the video online “to avoid torturing the victim and her family”.
The video of the alleged gang rape began circulating online on Sunday. It caused shock waves, as Tanzania is a highly conservative society.
The country is struggling to deal with a rise in gender-based violence, with some cases going unreported, according to local media reports.
It is not clear when the video was filmed, but the victim is believed to be a resident of Yombo Dovya, a suburb of the commercial city of Dar es Salaam.
Police have urged people to remain calm as investigations continue, adding: “Detailed information about the incident will be released once we have completed legal proceedings.”
Human rights groups and social media users are calling on authorities to act quickly and decisively.
The Legal and Human Rights Center warned that “ignoring these issues will only lead to an increase in their occurrence in our society”.
Lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society condemned what they called a “serious violation of the country’s laws and social norms.”
Interior Minister Hamad Masauni was quoted as saying the suspects were “already” arrested, but did not provide further details.
More Tanzania stories from the BBC:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
