Hostages in the Sydney cafe siege have reportedly been
forced to call a number of media outlets in Australia.
Tom Steinfort, a journalist with broadcaster Channel Nine
Australia, said it had been contacted by three hostages, including one who had
been “forced by the gunman” to call its office.
The captor’s demands had been passed to police and the
hostages’s relatives notified, he added.
2GB Radio said its presenter Ray Hadley had also been
contacted by a hostage and they spoke off-air.
Producer Laura Parr said Mr Hadley could hear the gunman
“giving instructions to (a) young hostage off-air”.
There was also reports that one hostage inside the Lindt
Cafe managed to send a tweet urging police to be “cautious”.
Meanwhile, Ten News anchor Hugh Rimington said they received
a video in which a hostage “relays the gunman’s demands”.
Several local media outlets said they were complying with a
police request not to relay the offender’s demands.
Chris Reason, a journalist with Seven News Sydney, said he
could see the hostages from his newsroom in Martin Place.
He said: “From inside Martin Place newsroom, we’ve counted
around 15 hostages - not 50. Mix of women, men, young, old – but no children.”
Mr Reason said the hostages were “huddled at one end of
Lindt Cafe” and the gunman was “rotating hostages, forcing them to stand
against windows, sometimes two hours at a time”.
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