A 32-year-old Iranian asylum seeker armed with an axe and a dagger, who kidnapped 15 hostages aboard a train between Baulmes and Yverdon-les-Bains in Switzerland on Thursday, has been killed and all hostages are now freed, Swiss media reported.
The assailant kidnapped the passengers at the Essert-sous-Champvent station after forcing the train driver to leave his post and join them in the rear. Around 6:35 p.m., Vaud police replied to passenger alarms and began negotiations with the attacker using passengers’ cell phones, WhatsApp, and a Farsi-speaking translator.
After nearly four hours, around 10:15 p.m., the police approached the halted train. Explosives were purposefully deployed to divert the attacker’s attention. During the operation, a police officer, said to be acting in self-defense, shot and killed the attacker as he approached the group of captives wielding an axe.
All 15 hostages were safely released and given immediate medical care before their transfer to a police station in Yverdon. Emergency support teams and a psychological unit assisted the captives and their families as their statements were being taken as part of the investigation.
The motive and psychological state of the assailant, as well as his point of entry onto the train, are still under investigation.
More than 60 Swiss police officers and 30 rescue workers were deployed as part of the emergency response, according to Prosecutor General Eric Kaltenrieder.
While such events are unusual in Switzerland, a similar incident occurred in January 2022 at a watch-making factory, where staff were held hostage in exchange for access to a vault containing valuable metals.