Axe-wielding man who held Swiss train passengers hostage for hours killed

A man who was armed with an axe and knife as he held 15 people hostage on a train in western Switzerland has been killed by police.

The Iranian asylum seeker, 32, held the group between Baulmes and Yverdon-les-Bains for almost four hours, until police stormed the train and killed him late on Thursday.

"The hostages were all released unharmed," police in the Vaud canton said in a statement on Friday.

“The hostage taker was fatally wounded during the intervention."

The man reportedly forced the conductor of the train to join the 14 passengers, who had alerted police to the situation, and they were held hostage from around 6.35pm to 10.30pm local time (5.35pm to 9.30pm GMT).

Negotiations with the suspect took place partly via WhatsApp and with the help of a translator speaking Farsi, the predominant language in Iran, according to reports.

Police did not provide any details regarding the man's possible motives.

Hostage situations are rare in Switzerland but have occurred at banks and businesses.

In January 2022, employees of a watch making firm were taken hostage and forced to open a vault containing precious metals.