GUATEMALA CITY - AN ARMED man in a jealous rage took 42 hostages in a Guatemala City call centre on Monday before releasing them unharmed and turning himself in to police after a five-hour standoff, police said.

National Police spokesman Donald Gonzalez said Luis Escobar, 29, overpowered a security guard at the 24/7 Call Centre and took his gun late on Monday.

Police officer Miguel Tzoc said Escobar was in a jealous rage over a former girlfriend who worked in the call centre.

Escobar first released 40 hostages but kept his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend. He released the couple ten minutes later and turned himself in to police.

Escobar opened fire on three paramedics who tried to enter the building to talk to him. He claimed to have an explosive and threatened to detonate it, Mr Gonzalez said.

Mr Gonzalez said Escobar didn't have any explosives on his body but police were still searching the building early on Tuesday.

Mr Luis Sesam, 24, was one of the hostages and said Escobar arrived at the call centre wearing a ski mask and after disarming the security guard fired three shots at the ceiling.

'It seems like he knew what he was doing because he ordered us to divide ourselves into groups of men and women and told us that if we cooperated nothing would happen to us,' Mr Sesam said.

Mr Escobar didn't have any specific demands but kept asking for a pastor. When the minister arrived he broke down and released the hostages, Mr Sesam said. -- AP