Sydney siege ends as police storm Lindt Cafe and hostages run out
An armed siege at a cafe in the heart of Sydney has ended after police entered the building shortly after a series of loud bangs were heard and groups of hostages ran out onto the street.
An armed siege at a cafe in the heart of Sydney has ended after police entered the building shortly after a series of loud bangs were heard and groups of hostages ran out onto the street.
In dramatic scenes about 17 hours after a single armed man, named in reports as Man Haron Monis, first took an unknown number of hostages, heavily armed police stormed the Lindt Cafe, in a building on Martin Place, a pedestrianised street in the middle of Sydney’s central business district.
Several bursts of gunfire could be heard, and several people were seen being carried from the building, apparently injured. Some reports said a police officer had been hurt. A number of paramedics were at the scene.The chaotic scenes began as between five and seven hostages were seen running from the cafe, the second group of captives to escape since the siege began at about 9.45am on Monday local time. Later, other groups of what appeared to be hostages could be seen running out.
A gunman carrying a blue sports bag had reportedly entered the cafe and a hostage situation quickly developed, with heavily armed police surrounding the cafe and closing off the streets of the central area of Australia’s biggest city.
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