A five-year-old child survived the fatal mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina by pretending to be dead, it has been reported.

According to family members gathered at a hotel near the scene of the attack, which police are describing as a “hate crime”, the child was inside the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church when a gunman opened fire.

Family members, who had reportedly been briefed by police, told ABC News that the shooter entered the church and briefly joined in a prayer meeting at around 9pm local time on Wednesday night, before standing up and shooting.

Shaun King, reporting for Daily Kos on the scene, said the carnage in Charleston was “beyond description”. “Career officers are describing it as the worst thing they’ve ever seen,” he said.

In pictures: Charleston vigil Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: Charleston vigil In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Sunlight shines through a window and onto some of the thousands of people gathered for a city-sponsored prayer vigil for the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a vigil at TD Arena for victims of the Charleston church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil A view of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a prayer vigil at the TD Aren GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Family members of the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting sit on the first five rows during a prayer vigil at the College of Charleston TD Arena GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil NBA Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (C) joins thousands of people for a prayer vigil for the nine victims GETTY

Multiple sources, including a South Caroline state legislator, have reported that Emanuel AME’s pastor Reverend Clementa Pinckney is among the nine people killed in the incident, while a tenth person is being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds.

Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley said: "This is the most unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy.