Five people have been taken hostage in a post office in the US by a man in a wheelchair claiming to be carrying explosives, say reports.
Five people have been taken hostage at a post office in a small town in the US state of Virginia, by a man claiming to be carrying explosives, say reports.
Local media reports say grenades have been found in the man's vehicle parked outside the post office in Wytheville.
Local media reports say the man had a wheelchair and that grenades were found in his vehicle, parked outside the post office in Wytheville.
The town mayor of Wytheville, Trent Crewe, told the Associated Press news agency the man had fired shots from the building but no injuries were reported.
The man fired shots from the post office but no-one was reported to have been injured.
Police are at the scene and people have been told to evacuate the area.
Police are speaking to the man and have told local people to leave the area.
Local businesswoman Susan Holman told the Wytheville Enterprise newspaper police had warned the man had "enough explosives to take out the whole block".
Sgt Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said the man, who has not been named, entered the post office at about 1430 local time (1930 GMT).
"We do have a hostage situation," he said, adding that police and post office officials were on the scene.
"We have all available resources here and we're trying to negotiate with the individual that has the hostages," he said.
The hostage taker was initially thought to have been wheelchair-bound but witnesses said he was walking around inside the post office.
'Surrounded'
Pete Rendina, spokesman for the US Postal Inspection Service, said the man had made no demands other than a request for a pizza.
Police have cordoned off the scene and advised people to evacuate homes and businesses in the immediate area.
Police have cordoned off the scene and advised people to evacuate homes and businesses in the immediate area.
"It's completely surrounded by police in every direction," said town manager Wayne Sutherland, speaking from his office nearby.
Local businesswoman Susan Holman told the Wytheville Enterprise newspaper police had warned the man had "enough explosives to take out the whole block".
Town manager Wayne Sutherland, speaking from his office nearby, said the post office was "completely surrounded by police in every direction".
"All I can see is blue lights," he told AP.
"All I can see is blue lights," he told AP.
A police hostage negotiator was reported to have been speaking to the man.
Pete Rendina, spokesman for the US Postal Inspection Service, said the man, who was missing part of his leg, had made no demands other than a request for a pizza.
Three employees and two members of the public were believed to be inside the post office.
Three employees and two members of the public were believed to be inside the post office.
Relatives of the hostages said they had managed to speak to them by telephone to confirm they were unharmed.
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