Europe News

Four gunmen take hostage in Ghent, Belgium

Reuters with CNBC.com
WATCH LIVE
A member of the special forces police installs equipment on a van, in Ghent, western Belgium, on Monday December 15, 2014.
Geert Vanden Wijngaert | AP Photo

Four gunmen took a hostage in an apartment in the Belgian city of Ghent on Monday, the state prosecution service said, adding that it had no indication that it was a terrorist act.

Police were called after the four armed men were seen entering a building in the Dampoort district of the city on Monday morning. A spokeswoman for prosecutors said that the four had taken a man hostage there with officials quickly blocking off a wide perimeter around the area.

Read MoreLive blog: Five hostages run free from Sydney cafe siege

"For the time being we have no indication that there is a link to terrorism," she said. Officials quickly blocked off a wide perimeter around the area.

Police in Belgium have confirmed that the incident in Ghent is not terror related, according to NBC. The news channel added that police believe it is a personal matter and are yet to have the situation fully under control.