South African Police said in a statement on Twitter that they were alerted to a “hostage situation and shooting” in the early hours of the morning at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Zuurbekom near Johannesburg. Thirty arrests were made and more than 25 firearms seized, police said, adding hostage negotiators were still at the scene.
However, the force did not say why or how many hostages had been taken.
Hostage negotiators and a tactical response team remain at the church.
South African National Defence Force members have also been deployed to assist law enforcement due to the scale of the incident.
Television station eNCA said there had been a leadership dispute at the church and cited a church official as saying roughly 200 people had been taken hostage.
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The International Pentecost Holiness Church bases its headquarters in Zuurbekom is among the largest African initiated Christian churches in Southern Africa with three million members.
A South African Police Service spokesperson, added: “Police in the early hours of this morning were alerted to a hostage situation and shooting at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Zuurbekom.
“Since their arrival at the scene around 03h00, police have up to this point arrested about 30 suspects and seized more than 25 firearms.
“Five fatalities are confirmed.
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