Three hostages have been released from the café in the Sydney siege.
People were seen exiting from the front door and the fire escape door of the Lindt Café in Martin Place, which has been held under siege by a gunman since Monday morning, at about 03:45pm local time.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn confirmed to reporters that the three people seen exiting the cafe were among the hostages held inside.
It believed two of the people were male, one female. As they exited the building, the people held their arms above their heads.
Deputy Commissioner Burn said police had no information at this stage that any of the hostages had been harmed. She was unable to confirm how many hostages were still being held inside the building. She also stated that the gunman’s motivations were still unknown.
Police have shut down several city blocks in the area to deal with the ongoing crisis.
Also see: LATEST: Sydney hostage siege: live updates
IMAGE: Armed police stay at the main entrance of the Lindt Cafe in the central business district of Sydney on December 15, 2014. Hostages were being held inside. (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)