30 children held hostage in Malaysian siege

Police in southern Malaysia said Thursday 30 young children and their teacher have been taken hostage at a nursery school in Johor. 

It was not clear if the man was armed, though local reports said he had a hammer or a machete, the BBC reports.

Local police said negotiations were underway to end the siege, AFP reports. 

The hostage-taker had warned he would harm the children if authorities did not give him a gun, but The Star reports that the man seemed to calm down after speaking with local psychiatrist Dr Lau Keen Lee

The psychiatrist said that the man was hungry and wanted food. He also appeared to have moved his hostages to the higher level of the building's two floors.