Austria attack: Asylum seeker arrested after horror knife assault | World | News

A 14-year-old boy is dead and four others wounded after a “random” knife attack in Villach, Austria.

The incident happened at 3pm local time in the town near the border with Italy and Slovenia.

A suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, has been detained. This has been reported by the AFP news agency, which cites a police official.

Police spokesman Rainer Dionisio said: “A man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife.”

A 42-year old man who works for a food delivery company witnessed the incident from his car.

ORF, Austria’s national broadcaster, has been told that the worker drove his vehicle at the attacker and helped to prevent more injuries.

Police have not ruled out a second attacker being involved. Officials said it was not clear whether the man acted on his own, and therefore they were searching for potential further suspects.

Local media has reported that the suspect, the identity of whome has not yet been confirmed by the authorities, could have had a valid residence permit.

It is believed that two of the four people injured were in a serious condition.

ORF has reported that extremism police have been drafted in to investigate, but any motive, or link between the attacker and the five victims, are not known.

Governor of Carinthia Peter Kaiser described the attack as an “unimaginable atrocity”.