At least four women were being held hostage in a hair salon in Vanderbijlpark late on Friday afternoon.
Initial reports were that the four were being held by a middle-aged man.
However, it was later claimed that there were 11 women in Merle’s Hair Boutique, in Attie Fourie Street, and that they were hostage to a six or seven-man gang.
”We are getting different numbers constantly from bystanders and police on the scene on how many people are inside and how many hostages there are,” said ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak.
He said paramedics were alerted in an emergency call at 4.15pm that ”someone inside has been injured”.
Police spokesperson Captain William Mcera said no one had been hurt.
”I can’t talk now, there’s a robbery going on,” said a woman who answered the phone on Friday afternoon.
Although the incident started out as a robbery, Mcera said it became a hostage drama when passers-by saw a robber and raised the alarm.
”He [the hostage-taker] is armed with a firearm and a knife,” he said.
”He is demanding R50 000 from the police.”
Mcera said police were ”still busy negotiating”.
Paramedics were ”waiting for developments”, said Vermaak.
An ER24 rescue worker on the scene, Gareth Staley, said paramedics were standing a distance from the salon ”because it is too dangerous to go anywhere near”. — Sapa