UPDATE 1 -- Man holding 30 children, teachers hostage at Malaysian kindergarten

2011-07-07 13:50:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

MUAR, MALAYSIA (BNO NEWS) -- An unidentified man carrying a machete and a hammer has taken some 30 children and teachers hostage at a kindergarten in Malaysia, local media reported on Thursday.

The state-run Bernama news agency said the hostage crisis at a kindergarten in Muar, a district in the Malaysian state of Johor, began at around 10 a.m. local time when a man entered the building. He is believed to be carrying a machete and a hammer.

According to The Star newspaper, the suspect initially told police negotiators to give him a gun or he would kill the children. He has since spoken to a psychiatrist and asked for food. "He is hungry now and wants some food," the psychiatrist told the newspaper.

As the hostage crisis continued, large crowds of local residents and concerned family members surrounded the building. Media reports that a child had been killed by the suspect were denied by police.

Negotiations for the safe release of the children are continuing.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-07

How awful for the parents.

The fate of their children is in the hands of a nut-case.

The police need to exercise extreme care.