Swiss train attack leaves six injured, including child; suspect in custody

Six passengers were injured Saturday in northeastern Switzerland after a man armed with a knife lit a train carriage on fire, officials said.

The incident occurred in the early afternoon aboard a train en route to a station in Salez, Swiss police told the Associated Press. Several dozen passengers were traveling onboard at the time of the attack, authorities said.

“According to current information a 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid. He was also armed with at least one knife. The liquid caught fire,” the Saint Gallen cantonal police said in a statement.

Six victims, including a 6-year-old child, were being treated for stab and burn wounds as a result of the attack. The apparent assailant was also injured and was hospitalized upon being apprehended by authorities.

Investigators were not immediately aware of any potential motive, AFP reported.

Saturday’s attack comes less than a month after a 17-year-old went on a rampage aboard a train on Germany that resulted in five injuries. Federal investigators there are considering that assault an act of terrorism, and Attorney General Peter Frank said the assailant likely committed the attack on behalf of the Islamic State.

Prosecutors in Saint Gallen have opened a criminal probe into Saturday’s attack, and authorities have already estimated that the incident resulted in damages to the train amounting to at least $103,000.