Train hostage situation ends, suspect killed
The man was shot dead by a police officer after allegedly rushing at him with the axe.
The man was shot dead by a police officer after allegedly rushing at him with the axe.
YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland (AFP) — A hostage situation on a train in the west of Switzerland on Thursday night ended with the suspect killed in a police raid and the hostages safely freed, authorities said.
The hostage-taker was armed with an axe and a knife, and was speaking Farsi and English, Vaud canton police spokesperson Jean-Christophe Sauterel said at a press briefing.
“At this stage of the investigation, the motives of the perpetrator are not known,” he said.
The hostage-taker’s identity, he added, was still not officially confirmed, and checks were being carried out.
The man was shot dead by a police officer after allegedly rushing at him with the axe.
A total of 15 hostages were taken — 14 passengers and the conductor — with the ordeal dragging on for nearly four hours, from around 6:35 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The suspect had forced the conductor of the train — which was stopped near Yverdon — to join the passengers, who alerted police to the situation.
Negotiations with the suspect took place in part via WhatsApp and with the help of a translator speaking Farsi, the predominant language in Iran.
Authorities ultimately decided to storm the train and executed a maneuver to keep the man away from the hostages, according to Sauterel.
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