Bloemfontein – Officials at the Mangaung Correctional Centre outside Bloemfontein have confirmed there is a hostage situation at the prison.

G4S Africa head Andy Baker said prison management was dealing with the incident, but did not give more detail.

He said contingency measures designed to deal with hostage situations had been put in place.

Earlier, a local radio station reported that four inmates took a female guard hostage on Wednesday morning.

Two inmates took a doctor and a nurse hostage at the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in December 2012. The hostage drama lasted 48 hours.

– SAPA