A spokesperson for the Akakiko restaurant in Vienna has refuted the reports on hostages that earlier emerged on Austrian TV.
"No, there are no hostages here", the spokesperson told Sputnik, adding that armed police officers came to the restaurant, but currently there is no one else there.
Earlier, Austrian broadcaster OE24 reported that criminals took hostages in a restaurant in another area of Vienna in parallel with a shooting in the city centre.
The Austrian Interior Minister said that the situation is dynamic, adding that "we should focus on verified information", while commenting on reports about hostages.
The report said that hostages were taken in a Japanese restaurant, Akakiko, located on Mariahilferstraße, in the Austrian capital city.
The shooting in the Vienna city centre took place earlier on Monday, with police noting that several people were injured and the OE24 broadcaster saying that seven people were killed in the attack.
According to media reports, one of the attackers blew themselves up, while others are suspected to be at large.
