Advertisement

Ukraine passenger bus seized by gunman 'armed with explosives' with 20 hostages on board

A passenger bus with 20 people on board has been taken over by a gunman armed with explosives in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk.

Police have blocked off the centre of the city, located 250 miles west of Kiev, while the demands of the assailant were not immediately known.

Officers said in a statement on Facebook that the hostage-taker was armed and carrying explosives.

The man has been identified and is said to have expressed frustration at the "Ukraine's system" on social media, according to the authorities.

Local media reported that gunshots have been heard in the area, but it remains unclear whether anyone has been hurt.

Anton Heraschenko, the deputy interior minister, said the hijacker called the police himself to inform them about the situation.

In response to the incident, interior minister Arsen Avakov is on his way to Lutsk.

More follows…