CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - IT services provider Infosys confirmed that one of its employee is among the hostages at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, Martin Place in Sydney, in the south-east coast of Australia. A statement from the company said they are in touch with the local authorities and the Consulate in Sydney.
Five hostages, including three employees from Lindt escaped. One male hostage, who managed to come out of the Cafe is under treatment in a nearby hospital and is said to be stable. It is not confirmed whether they escaped or they were freed from the Cafe.
The police is said to have no clear idea about the number of hostages. At least one gunman is involved in the incident. There were rumours that two bombs were planted inside the Cafe and the gunman wanted to speak to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
A black flag, usually used by extremist groups in the Middle East, has been seen at the window of the Cafe. The police said they are in contact with the hostage-taker, and are continuously monitoring social media posts.
The incident was first reported to the police on Monday at around 9.45 am, local time (Sunday 5.45 pm ET) and Lindt Cafe management initially estimated that around 30 customers and 10 workers must have been there at that time. However, news reports later said there are around 15 persons in the Cafe, a mix of women and men, but no children.
Sydney is the most populous city in the New South Wales state of Australia and Martin Place is a busy tourist spot. State Parliament and the Reserve Bank of Australia and Sydney Opera House are nearby. The police evacuated neighbouring office buildings and closed all byroads to the Martin Place. The U.S. Consulate in Sydney was also evacuated.
Tony Abbot, the Prime Minister of Australia said the incident is politically motivated to scare people. He requested the Australians to go about their business as usual. In the morning, the National Security Committee of Cabinet was convened for the briefings on the situation.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX