Lights out at siege cafe as stand-off enters 12th hour: Gunman was 'extremely agitated' when five hostages escaped as witnesses report seeing food being brought for those trapped inside
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2873855/Gunman-takes-hostages-cafe-Sydney.html
- Terror siege in central Sydney stretches into the night after gunman raids busy cafe at morning peak hour
- Witnesses described hostages as looking 'pained, strained' as drama enters its 12th hour
- Food was brought in to the hostages from the cafe kitchen as darkness fell, and the lights were turned off inside
- Five people, including three cafe workers, were able to flee to safety, leaving up to 15 people inside
- Gunman was described as 'extremely agitated' after learning some hostages had escaped
- He stormed the Lindt cafe in Martin Place during the morning rush hour stopped anyone from leaving
- He forced hostages to hold up black flag with white writing in Arabic, an emblem linked to terror groups
- Police commanders say they will be patient while no one has been hurt and want to end the siege without violence
As
many as 15 hostages seized by a gunman who stormed a Sydney cafe at
morning rush hour are facing a terrifying night as a siege in the centre
of the city continued after dark, hours after five captives made a
courageous break for freedom.
Witnesses
saw food prepared in the cafe's kitchen brought out to the remaining
hostages, thought to number between ten and 15, as the stand-off with
heavily armed police entered its twelfth hour.
The
drama began unfolding around 9,30 am, when a gunman entered the cafe,
located in one of busiest plazas in Sydney's central business district,
and pulled a shotgun from a blue carry bag and disabled the doors to the
business.
Heavily
armed police remained posted around the cafe as night fell and the
hostage drama continued into the night. Inside, the remaining hostages
were brought food and were observed by witnesses as looking 'pained'
Soon
afterwards, hostages were seen with their hands pressed against the
windows holding up the Islamic Shahada flag. It is an emblem of
extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government
in Syria. The man was described as wearing a headband with Arabic
writing on it.
Scores
of police rushed to the scene, evacuating surrounding buildings and
closing off part of the city. The scene sent shockwaves across
Australia, where terror attacks have rarely touched home soil.
Paramilitary
police armed with automatic rifles spent all day Monday surrounding the
cafe, but senior commanders said they would be taking a patient
approach to the siege and hoped to end it through negotiation with the
gunman.
A
total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, managed to escape
the cafe by scrambling out a side door about seven hours into the drama.
Fear etched on their faces, they ran into the arms of waiting police.
It
is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being
released by their captor. One former male hostage has been taken to
nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and is being
treated for a pre-existing condition.
The gunman flew into a rage when he realised some of his captives had escaped.
'The
gunman could be seen from here getting extremely agitated, shouting at
remaining hostages,' tweeted journalist Chris Reason, who has a direct
line of sight into the cafe from the Seven Network newsroom directly
opposite and inside the police cordon.
The
light inside the building has gone off tonight, Mr Reason said, but
police would not reveal whether it was a law enforcement or
hostage-taker tactic.
Police negotiators have learned the name of the man and have made contact.
This evening, Mr Reason said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window.
'From
inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained,
strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted. Food and water was also being
delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.
Seven
Network staff have counted around 15 hostages in the cafe, he said,
rather than the 50 reported by Lindt Australia CEO Steve Loane earlier
on Monday.
Scroll down for video
A young female employee came running out of the Lindt cafe shortly before 5pm and was sheltered by waiting police
Another distraught female worker, cafe barista Elly Chen, bolted from the shop before taking cover with police
A total of five hostages have now escaped Lindt cafe - it's believed they escaped and were not released
One of the young female employees was visibly upset as she grabbed hold of armed police
'Omg Elly!! So glad you're OK': Ms Chen, pictured, was the fifth hostage, scrambling from the cafe with her hands in the air
Freedom: Ms Chen was helped to a cover immediately after she burst from the Lindt Cafe store
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