The hostage situation in the Swiss train ended with the death of the perpetrator

A man armed with an ax and a knife took a group of people hostage on Thursday night on a train traveling between two cities in western switzerlanduntil after four hours the police intervened and killed the kidnapper and freed the kidnapped people.

The man, who according to various unofficial information was an Iranian asylum seeker, restrained fourteen passengers and the train’s pilot.

Authorities said the motive for the crime, in which the perpetrator forced the train driver to leave his seat to join the rest of the hostages, was unknown for more than four hours while the vehicle was immobilized in Station Essert-sous-Champventbetween the towns of Baulmes and Yverdon-les-Bains.

Specialists in negotiations in cases of kidnapping established contact with the author via the phone of the hostages.

“During this operation, we prioritized the hostage’s safety and did everything possible to convince him to surrender,” explained today the spokesperson of the canton of Vaud, Jean-Christophe Sauterel.

After 22:00 local time, the order to attack was given, after the attention of the hijacker was distracted by explosives and when it appeared that he had momentarily separated himself from his victims.

As soon as he realized the ruse, the kidnapper started threateningly and with an ax in his hand towards the intervention group, so one of the policemen used his weapon and mortally wounded him, with a gesture pointed out by the police. it was self-defense.

All hostages were released to safety.

“At the moment, there are no elements that point us to a terrorist or extremist act,” said a police spokesman today.