Man armed with axe takes six children hostage in apartment – police surround scene

dailystar.co.uk:

police in Georgia began a manhunt for a gunman who took 43 hostages during a bank robbery and disappeared after releasing them.The masked man, wearing a military uniform, stormed into a bank in the town of Zugdidi in western Georgia on October 21 and demanded $500,000 (£385,000).Negotiations between the gunman and police in the former Soviet republic continued into the late evening.Hostages were released gradually during the day and most were freed in the evening after he was paid a ransom.The gunman left the bank with four hostages, including the head of the local police department who was acting as a negotiator and had brought the payment.A few hours later, the gunman released the remaining hostages and escaped.The interior ministry said.