A busker mistaken as a gunman has been at the centre of public transport chaos at Melbourne's Flagstaff train station this morning.
As The Age reports, armed police stormed the station at around 8.30am following a tip-off that a man was armed with a gun.
It is believed that the man, carrying a duffel bag, was conducting breathing exercises before his performance, which one passenger perceived as suspicious behaviour and called police.
The tip-off led to a complete halt of trains in the City Loop (Melbourne's underground CBD train system).
The busker security incident had a flow-on effect that led to a complete meltdown of the Melbourne train system during peak hour.
Trains were diverted from the City Loop causing delays and backed-up trains around the city.
At Flinders Street station, Melbourne's busiest public transport hub, there were scenes of panic as it was unable to cope with the extra commuter traffic.
An eyewitness reported a near-fatal crush on one platform as an escalator continued carrying passengers into an already over-capacity area.
Crowds alighting trains were overwhelmed by the flow of commuters onto the platform as people were crushed into pillars, stationary trains and each other.
Hysterical screams were heard as commuters gasped for air and fought against the human tidal wave.
With no Metro train staff in the area, it took a couple of quick-thinking commuters to stop the escalator and avoid the situation worsening.
The witness reports, "It was a frightening scene and we were lucky there were some cool-headed people on hand to put a halt to the escalator.
"It was lucky no one was pushed onto the tracks. The Metro's security protocol needs a massive overhaul to avoid this type of scenario being repeated in the future."
Police declared Flagstaff station was safe at around 9am and no arrests were made.
“We’ve spoken to that person... later on down in the CBD, and confirmed there was no risk," Inspector Jacob Bugeja said.
"He was a busker there to play an instrument in town.
“There was a bag the person was carrying, and he had his tools to do his busking in.”
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