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Six hostages remain aboard hijacked Greek bus

Gunmen demand $1.34 million ransom, plane to fly to Russia

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 Posted: 4:27 PM EST (2127 GMT)

Quote:

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Hijackers have released 17 passengers in the Greek bus standoff, leaving six passengers aboard with the two hijackers, authorities said. The remaining passengers are four women and two men.

The two gunmen are strapped with explosives and have fired on police at least four times during the standoff, police said Wednesday.

The hijackers are demanding a ransom of 1 million euros ($1.3 million), a driver to take them to the airport and safe passage to Russia, authorities said.

One hijacker told a local television station in a phone call that no more hostages would be released and that he would blow up the bus if the demands are not met by 8 a.m. Thursday (1 a.m. ET).

The same hijacker, who identified himself as "Hassan," also made an earlier call to a private radio station and threatened drastic action if their demands are not met.

Police confirmed that a gunshot was heard in the area of the bus around 9 p.m. (2 p.m. ET), but it wasn't clear who fired the shot or if anyone was hurt.

A local radio station says one of the hijackers claimed to be a Russian, but Greek authorities have said they believe both men are Albanians.

Police said they believe the men are criminals and not connected to international terrorism.

Police said seven hostages and the two hijackers remain on the bus.

The first hostage to be freed, a 55-year-old man said to be suffering a heart condition, was released at 11 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) for what were described as "medical reasons."

A short time later, three women and a man departed the bus separately. The other captives released were let go in groups of two and three throughout the afternoon and evening.

Some of the hostages reported that the hijackers treated their captives well, and even served them croissants and water.

Journalist Anthee Carassavas told CNN that police were taking the hostages' release as a positive sign as they tried desperately to defuse the situation through intense negotiation.

The Albanian ambassador to Greece is on the scene, Carassavas reported, and Greece's public order minister has made at least two calls to his Albanian counterpart.

Hundreds of thousands of Albanians live in Greece, many of them having arrived to help with construction work for last August's Athens Olympics.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis postponed his departure to Brussels for an EU summit Wednesday because of the crisis and now plans to leave Thursday, senior government officials said.

Special forces, including snipers, hostage negotiators and anti-terrorism squads, continued to surround the blue-colored bus in the Athens suburb of Marathon Wednesday afternoon, while a police helicopter hovered overhead.

The bus -- which was heading from Marathon to Athens -- was seized at about 6 a.m. Wednesday (11 p.m. ET Tuesday), and was later parked alongside a road about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the city center.

It was the first such incident since a spate of bus hijackings in Greece five years ago. (Greek hijackings)

"I talked with one of the passengers on the bus over her mobile phone and she told me the gunmen want a new driver to take them straight to the airport so they can leave the country," Nikos Koutsogiorgos, head of the company that owns the bus, told reporters.

Police told news agencies the armed men entered the bus and fired shots into the roof.

A senior police official said authorities were still trying to confirm the hijackers' identities.

Driver raised alert

The gunmen boarded the bus on its third or fourth stop as it headed toward Athens.

When they flashed their rifles, the bus driver immediately stopped the coach and opened the doors, hoping to allow the passengers to escape. The driver, his co-driver and a female passenger were able to get away safely and alert police.

"I was the first at the scene and saw the driver jumping out of the bus with a ticket collector and another woman. There was a scuffle inside the bus," eyewitness Nikos Balogiannis told state-run NET television, according to The Associated Press.

The hostage-takers drew the curtains, preventing anyone from seeing inside the bus.

"I don't care what they are or who they are. I want them to release my wife," an elderly man who was among dozens of relatives of hostages who rushed to the scene told Reuters. "She told me she is fine and things are quiet on the bus but she sounded terrified."

There were no reports of any injuries, but live television pictures earlier showed one of the gunmen approaching the front of the bus and firing two warning shots.

Police anti-terrorist squads, which also deal with hijackings, parked a van in front of the bus to prevent it from driving away.

Release of hostages

The first male hostage released walked casually off the bus after being freed.

The man, with graying hair, quickly raised his arms as he walked away from the bus and hopped a fence. Moments later, he was escorted into a vehicle and driven away.

"My dad has a heart condition," Vassilis Bratsiakos told Reuters. "I am just happy he is well and far away from the bus."

Minutes later three female hostages -- all younger women -- and a man were also freed.

One of the women, wearing a yellow jacket, was limping. She walked hesitantly from the bus and appeared to be distressed.