DHAKA: A Chinese woman was beaten to death at a McDonald’s outlet in China’s eastern province of Shandong, city police said, after she reportedly refused to give members of an alleged religious cult her mobile phone number on May 28.

Six people, including four members of the same family, were arrested at the scene, Zhaoyuan police said on its microblog on Saturday, adding that they had all confessed to the crime.

The attack appeared to be led by a bald man surnamed Zhang. His two daughters and 14-year-old son, as well as two other women were among his accomplices, reported the state-linked Beijing Times, according to The Straits Times.

Zhaoyuan police said the group appeared to be members of the ‘All-powerful spirit’, and had been actively gathering numbers in a bid to recruit new members.

An eyewitness video uploaded online showed Zhang hitting the victim repeatedly with what looked like a steel mop handle amid terrified screams.

He allegedly called her an ‘evil’ and ‘will never be reincarnated’ while attacking her, according to Beijing Times.

Pictures circulated online showed the victim, reportedly a 37-year-old salesperson surname Wu, lying motionless in a huge pool of blood.

She was pronounced dead in the hospital.

BDST: 1502 HRS, MAY 31, 2014