Johannesburg, Jul 11 (AP) Police in South Africa say five people are dead and more than 40 have been arrested after an early-morning hostage situation at a church near Johannesburg.

A statement says police and military who responded to reports of a shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom found four people “shot and burned to death in a car” and a security guard shot in another car.

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Six other people were injured.

Police say they rescued men, women and children who had been held hostage and appeared to have been living at the church. The statement doesn't say how many were rescued.

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Police say more than 30 guns were found and the attack by a group of armed people “may have been motivated by a feud” between church members.

The national police commissioner says the response by security forces “averted what could have been a more severe bloodbath.” The statement says among those arrested are members of the police, defense forces and correctional services. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)