An Irish nun was hacked to death and at least 13 people were injured when men wielding machetes and a blowtorch tore through a crowd of worshippers at church on the caribbean island of St Lucia, hacking at people and setting them on fire.
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Local police have identified the nun who died as Sister Theresa Egan, 72, from Clonaslee, Co Laois. She was a member of the Order of St Joseph of Cluny for about 50 years, mainly working as a primary teacher and eventually becoming a school principal.
Witnesses said she was hacked with a machete.
One of the attackers was captured by worshippers and arrested. After questioning him, police described the violence as religiously motivated.
More than 400 people attended Mass at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and many were lined up in the aisles to receive Holy Communion when the attackers entered the church, police said.
"It was like a scene from hell," said Mr Cletus Springer, a worshipper and local newspaper columnist.
During the attack, one of the men doused people with a flammable liquid that appeared to be kerosene or gasoline, witnesses said. Another attacker used a blowtorch to ignite the flames, witnesses said. The men burned the carpet running down the centre aisle.
AP