Johannesburg - A young man went on a rampage in a South African township Sunday, killing three people and injuring eight others, including an old woman and a baby, police said Monday.

The attack took place in the community of Mayflower near Ermelo in the north-eastern Mpumalanga province, Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"The man, aged 20, went on the rampage, killing three people. Eight people were taken to hospital," she said. "I think he was using an axe."

One of the victims was a 75-year-old woman, she said. The man also killed a baby, apparently while it was being carried by its mother on her back, Nkosi said.

SAfm public radio reported that five of the injured were seriously wounded.

The attacker himself was also taken to hospital, where he kept Sunday night, she said.

"We don't know what caused this young man to commit such a terrible crime," Nkosi said.

No further details were immediately available. (dpa)