There are reports that a number of Sydney hostages have been seen running out of Lindt Cafe and escaping to safety. Sky News Australia , which was live-tweeting the hostage crisis in Sydney cafe, reported via Twitter that at least some people had escaped from the cafe where they were being held by unknown captors.
Sky News reported the following via Twitter on the hostage crisis.
Appears three hostages have been released or escaped from siege underway in Lindt cafe in Sydney #sydneysiege ( @liztilley84 )
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 15, 2014
Earlier, Sky News reporter Elizabeth Tilley had reported in a live update via Twitter that the Sydney hostages were seen leaving the cafe.
Appears three hostages have been released or escaped from siege underway in Lindt cafe in Sydney @SkyNewsAust #sydneysiege — Elizabeth Tilley (@liztilley84) December 15, 2014
A live stream of the hostage drama in the Australian metropolis of Sydney also reported that the first few people being held captive were seen leaving the scene and fleeing to safety. They had been taken hostage earlier in the day, and were forced to hold a banner in the window with what appeared to be writing in Arabic. Channel 9 News Sydney reported that at least three hostages were seen leaving the cafe and appeared to have been released.
Around the same time that the hostages were seen leaving the cafe, it was also reported that Sydney police were in contact with the hostage-takers. Their motives and demands had not yet been made public.
#BREAKING : Burn: Police negotiators have had contact. His motivations are not known. #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/9H9Z2OGlgj
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 15, 2014
At least 50 hostages have been held for over 6 hours. It is unknown if the hostages escaped from the Sydney cafe somehow, or were released as a gesture of some kind by the hostage takers.
[Image via TVNZ]