Baby among them

Man seriously injures five people in Switzerland

In Switzerland, a 34-year-old man is said to have seriously injured five people with a machete, including a pregnant woman and a baby (symbolic image).(Bild: Big City Lights - stock.adobe.com)

Five people were injured in a machete attack in the Swiss city of St. Gallen on Thursday evening. All of the victims, including a pregnant woman and a baby, required surgery. No one's life is in danger, the police said.

The suspected perpetrator is a 34-year-old man who was already known to have mental health problems. He is said to have injured a heavily pregnant woman with a machete in a residential building on Thursday evening. When her father came to help, he was also attacked and seriously injured.

Neighbor detained attacker
Other residents became aware of the incident and followed the 34-year-old outside. There he ended up injuring a second woman, her three-month-old child and a neighbor who managed to restrain the attacker.

According to the police, all the victims were taken to hospital. Gas and a spilled flammable liquid were found in the suspect's apartment. As there was a risk of explosion, the house was evacuated.