A man clutching his bible plunged to his death after an hour-long standoff ended with him committing suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of a building in Joburg CBD.

Eye Witness News reports that the suicide took place on the corner of Bree and Simmonds streets in central Johannesburg late on Thursday.

Witnesses told EWN that the man climbed out the window shortly before 5pm before proceeding to read scriptures in front of a large group of onlookers.

The crowd on the street starting chanting “jump, jump, jump,” before the man jumped to his death.

A person inside the flats tried to grab the man but was unsuccessful.