Paramedics remove an injured woman on a stretcher from the Lindt cafe, where hostages were being held, at Martin Place in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Australian security forces on Tuesday stormed the Sydney cafe where several hostages were being hel
Paramedics remove an injured woman on a stretcher from the Lindt cafe, where hostages were being held, at Martin Place in central Sydney December 16, 2014. Australian security forces on Tuesday stormed the Sydney cafe where several hostages were being held at gunpoint, in what looked like the dramatic denouement to a standoff that had dragged on for more than 16 hours. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW)

As the tragic hostage situation in Australia unfolded in Sydney's Martin Place, one man was criticised on Twitter for sending a congratulatory message on the "bloody outcome." Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp. who also owns the Australian Daily Telegraph in Sydney, tweeted his congratulations to the Australian edition for running the story first before everyone else at 2 am.

Murdoch's gloating about his newspaper's early coverage of the Sydney siege outcome has angered netizens on Twitter who also responded to his statement. Some Twitter users who saw the media kingpin's status reacted with outrage and described his behaviour as "disgraceful." One user said Murdoch is a "terrible blight on this world," the Huffington Post reported.

The News International head's ill-advised tweet was also called "insensitive" amid the messages of sympathies and hope being offered by thousands of people online. The hostage taker, Man Haron Monis, was killed after Australian police stormed the Lindt café at Martin Place.

The daughter of former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, Jessica Rudd, also responded to Murdoch's tweet with "Good grief." The Independent said Murdoch may have seen the outcome as a chance to praise the Australian daily for being the first to report the end of the Sydney siege. Murdoch has yet to comment on the matter, especially the reactions to his earlier tweets. His congratulatory tweet remains on his account.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the person responsible for the Sydney siege as a "deeply disturbed individual" who was influenced by extremist views. The gunman had a history of crime and mental instability. In a press conference, Mr Abbott reiterated that Australia will be able to move on from the tragic incident.

The prime minister and his wife Margie paid their respects to the two hostages who died in the siege, laying flowers outside Sydney's business district in a makeshift memorial, ABC reported. Tori Johnson, 34, and Katrina Dawson, 38, did not survive the incident. Johnson was the manager of the Lindt café, while Dawson was a lawyer and a mother to three children.

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