Passengers on a train linking Yverdon to Sainte-Croix, in eastern Switzerland, were taken hostage by an armed man before being released unharmed in the evening, police said.
“Hostage taking in Essert-Sous-Champvent, hostages released, press briefing at 11:45 p.m.” (10:45 p.m. GMT)
, wrote on X the spokesperson for the police of the canton of Vaud, Jean-Christophe Sauterel.
A large police force is currently deployed at the Essert-sous-Champvent station, which is located half a dozen kilometers from Yverdon, not far from Lake Neuchâtel, according to the newspaper which indicates that the hostage taker would have was armed with an axe.
Access to the station
“is prohibited by the police.
Lightning and loud bangs took place at 10:18 p.m. local time.
An ambulance was then dispatched to the site, before passengers began to exit the train safely around 10:30 p.m.
,” writes
24 Heures
.
There were no immediate details on the number of passengers or the motives of the hostage taker.