Neighbours at an apartment building in Switzerland have been left reeling over a violent attack that saw one tenant armed with a machete injure five people, including an infant, on Thursday night.
The attack took place in the city of St. Gallen around 9:30 p.m. local time.
In a statement from regional police on Friday, authorities said a 34-year-old Swiss man suddenly assaulted a 29-year-old “heavily pregnant” woman in a stairwell at the apartment complex.
The man, who attacked the woman while carrying a machete, is a resident in the building. The pregnant woman was there to visit her father, who is also a resident.
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Police said the woman’s 66-year-old father was seriously injured as he rushed to help his daughter while she was being attacked.
Neighbours in the apartment heard the commotion and followed the attacker out of the building. Once outside, he wounded another 31-year-old tenant, who was with her three-month-old baby. The baby was also injured in the attack, police reported.
Neighbours were then able to restrain the machete-wielding man until police arrived at the scene. One of the assisting neighbours was wounded during the scuffle.
The attacker was also injured during the incident.
The four wounded adults, the baby and the attacker are all expected to recover.
Police said the suspect has psychological issues and was known to authorities.
During a subsequent investigation, authorities discovered flammable liquid and gas in his unit, and the building was quickly evacuated.
The St. Gallen cantonal police are continuing to investigate.
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