WATCH | Ladysmith armed robbery: Shop owners and customers held hostage

A tense situation unfolded in Ladysmith on Sunday morning as six men were arrested after holding shop owners, security guards and customers hostage during an attempted armed robbery.

As reported by The Witness, eyewitnesses say the armed men burst into a local supermarket and began barking orders.

However, the attempted robbery was foiled by local security officers and police who wasted no time in responding to the scene.

Ladysmith police officers, the K9 unit and TRT officials surrounded the supermarket – situated in the CBD area – to free the hostages.

WATCH: Armed robbery in Ladysmith

The robbers were arrested and the victims for treated for mild injuries sustained due to being assaulted during the incident.

‘I thought that I was going to die’

One of the hostages told the Ladysmith Herald: “I was hit with the back of the gun and forced to lay down. They took the cellphone and wallet.”

I thought that I was going to die today.

She thanked the police for their quick response and for making sure that they came out of the shop alive.

Charges of armed robbery are being investigated. The incident is likely linked to other robbers in the CBD area. However, that could not be confirmed at the time of publishing.

This article was originally published by Claudine Senekal on Caxton’s The Witness.