Air crew believed to be among hostages

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific said today that some of its 16 air crew staying at a luxury hotel seized by pro-Chechen gunmen in Istanbul were believed to be hostages.

The crew, including four pilots and 12 cabin crew, were at the Swissotel when several pro-Chechen gunmen stormed in late last night, said Cathay spokeswoman Rosita Ng.

Cathay was able to reach two of its employees, a pilot and a cabin crew member, who were outside the hotel at the time.

The company could not account for the others but said in a statement that ‘‘a number of its crew are believed to be among those people being detained’’.

Ng said nine of the airline employees were Hong Kong residents, but she declined to disclose where the others were from.

Istanbul police said early today that the gunmen had taken at least 30 people hostage as they made political demands.

Cathay has two flights from Hong Kong to Istanbul weekly.

Later a German businessman staying at the hotel said he was returning from a restaurant at 11.30pm (local time) by taxi shortly after the hostages struck.

Mike Rohrer, who was in Istanbul for a conference said: ‘‘I saw a number of policemen running around with guns and regarded there was something going on.

‘‘We got out of the cab, we were told to go quickly from the hotel.’’

Mr Rohrer said he was taken to a nearby hotel where some tourists had also been transferred.

A terrorist held a gun to the head of the wife of a friend of his, he said.

‘‘She was told to kneel down and a gun was pointed at her whilst her husband was already in one of the side exits waiting for her,’’ Mr Rohrer said.

‘‘He was told by the personnel to move quickly out of the hotel but he refused to do so because he could see his wife being attacked by one of these terrorists.

‘‘Then she managed to get up and move to the exit where her husband was waiting for her. They were lucky to be released immediately afterwards together with 10 others.’’

The gunmen told police that if they intervene, ‘‘the end of this could turn into a mess,’’ it has been reported.