Police evacuate French company's Montreal office building after hoax hostage call
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The drama unfolded on Friday afternoon when police officers in combat gear, and armoured vehicles and ambulances, surrounded the red brick building in the Mile End neighborhood north of downtown.
A major police operation was under way in Montreal on Friday at offices of French video game company Ubisoft that media reported was a possible hostage-taking.
The police, however, later said no threat had been found.
The incident had reportedly been caused by a hoax 911 call.
The drama unfolded on Friday afternoon when police officers in combat gear, and armoured vehicles and ambulances, surrounded the red brick building in the Mile End neighborhood north of downtown.
The center of the police operation was the building that houses Ubisoft's Montreal offices, among other companies. All Ubisoft Montreal staff are safe and have been evacuated.
Aerial footage taken by the Quebec French-news chain LCN showed people gathered on the rooftop terrace of the building, along with heavy objects left at the door to block it.
A Ubisoft employee told CTV News station in Canada that employees at the office were instructed via a company memo to hide in an area that locks and to keep quiet.