A 10-year-old girl was shot in the chest died where she stood when gunmen opened fire inside a Kariega shack, an attack police say the shooters returned to finish before fleeing on foot.

A 10-year-old girl was gunned down when armed men kicked open the door of a Kariega shack and opened fire.

The child died at the scene in Hillwacht Road, Kabah, on Saturday night after being shot in the chest, while a man, 20, and a woman, 21, were wounded in the attack.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said detectives were investigating a case of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

She said the victims had been inside the shack at about 7pm when two to three unknown armed suspects kicked open the door and opened fire.