An armed man, possibly with a bomb, has taken people hostage at Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, N.H.

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Clinton was not in New Hampshire Friday. She was scheduled to give an address at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Vienna, Va., Friday afternoon, but DNC Chairman Howard Dean announced from the podium that Clinton would not speak. New York TV station WNBC reported that the suspect has demanded to speak to her.

Police said a man in his 40s, with salt-and-pepper hair, is in the building and has what appears to be an explosive device strapped to his body, TV station WMUR reported.

Witness Lettie Tzizik told the station that she spoke to a woman shortly after she was released from the office by the alleged hostage-taker.

"A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape.'"

Authorities were sending a tactical bomb unit to assist local police, and the area was evacuated, said Maj. Michael Hambrook of New Hampshire State Police.

Bill Shaheen, chairman of Clinton's New Hampshire campaign, said someone walked into the satellite office with what appears to be a bomb strapped to his chest. Two staffers, whom he described as volunteers, were held hostage and others were released.

"Hopefully, they're going to negotiate this so no one gets hurt," Shaheen said.

There are several police officers positioned across the street from the office, crouched down behind cruisers with guns drawn, Boston TV station WCVB reported.

"I walked out and I immediately started running, and I saw that the road was blocked off. They told me run and keep going," Cassandra Hamilton told WCVB. She works in an office adjacent to the building.

Nearby businesses have been evacuated, and the nearby St. Elizabeth Seaton School and Spalding High School have been locked down.

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards also have office in Rochester, and both have been evacuated.

There were no reports of any injuries.

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