A pair of armed robbers released two hostages, but still held one other inside a bank during an hours-long standoff Tuesday with sheriff's deputies near Walt Disney World.

Officers responded to a bank robbery at the Mercantile Bank located at 7801 west U.S. Highway 192 at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Osceola County's tourist corridor a mile west of Disney World.

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"It appears at this point as if there's just one hostage inside with the suspects," said sheriff's spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain after a woman emerged just before 3 p.m. EST.

No further information about her identity was available, and officials have only said the male hostage released was a bank employee.

Lizasuain said deputies believe no one inside has been hurt, and the suspects have said they don't intend to harm anyone. She said at least one of the robbers was armed. She did not specify a weapon.

She said the first released hostage was able to provide information about the scene inside, though authorities released few details. Investigators immediately began questioning the second released hostage after she exited the bank.

Calls to the bank were routed to a Mercantile call center, where a woman said she had no additional information.

Authorities have closed U.S. Highway 192 at Black Lake Road because of the incident.

Local 6 News reported that the same bank was robbed last November by two people. The pair escaped after the robbery, according to the report.

It is the second incident in Osceola's tourist corridor in two days. Monday, an unidentified man led Osceola deputies on a chase along a 2-mile stretch of Osceola's tourist strip for two hours. He shot a man, fired at officers and stole four cars during the chase on a road that leads to Walt Disney World before he killed himself.

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