India, Oct. 30 -- In a major security scare, 16 children and a woman were briefly held hostage in Mumbai's Powai area, leading to panic and prompting the authorities to launch a rescue operation.

The dramatic situation, which lasted for three-hour, unfolded at RA Studio near the L&T building in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, where the children had been called for an 'audition', PTI reported.

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The authorities said they received a call at around 3 pm and that 17 people were held hostage in the building. The Mumbai Fire Brigade launched a rescue operation, where they used hydraulic tools to cut open the grills and make way for the police.

The Mumbai Police safely rescued the 16 childre...