The travelers were able to exit the train safely around ten minutes after “loud detonations”, according to the local press.
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Passengers on a train were taken hostage on Thursday February 8 in eastern Switzerland by an armed man, before being released safely in the evening, authorities announced. On X, Jean-Christophe Sauterel, the police spokesperson for the canton of Vaud reported a “Hostage taking in Essert-Sous-Champvent, hostages released, press briefing at 11:45 p.m.”.
A large police force was deployed at the Essert-sous-Champvent station, a few kilometers from Yverdon, near Lake Neuchâtel, specifies the online newspaper 24 Heures, according to which the hostage-taker was allegedly armed with an axe.
Access to the station “is prohibited by law enforcement” And “loud detonations took place at 10:18 p.m. local. An ambulance was then dispatched to the site, before passengers began to exit the train safely at around 10:30 p.m. local, writes the newspaper 24 Heures. No details were immediately released on the number of passengers and the motives of the hostage taker.
