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CNN: 167 passengers released, 7 held hostages in Jamaica
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-20 14:27

KINGSTON - A gunman was holding five crew members and two passengers hostage on a passenger jet in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Monday after 167 passengers were released, authorities said.

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A Montego Bay police officer said a shot had been fired after the gunman, whose motives were unknown, breached security about 10 pm local time on Sunday (0300 GMT Monday) to force his way aboard the Halifax, Nova Scotia-bound CanJet charter flight at Sangster International Airport.

The officer, who asked not to be identified because he had not been authorized to discuss the hostage situation, said no one had been injured.

Most of the passengers released from the CanJet plane had been taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, some of them suffering from shock, the officer told Reuters.

He said the man holding the seven remaining hostages was armed with a handgun. The officer was unable to give any further details in a telephone interview from the Caribbean resort.