YVERDON-LES-BAINS, (Switzerland): A hostage situation on a train in the west of Switzerland on Thursday night ended with the suspect killed in a police raid and the hostages safely freed, authorities said.

The hostage-taker was armed with an axe and a knife, and was speaking Farsi and English, Vaud canton police spokesman Jean-Christophe Sauterel said at a press briefing.

“At this stage of the investigation, the motives of the perpetrator are not known,” he said.

The hostage-taker’s identity, he added, was still not officially confirmed, and checks were being carried out.

The man was shot dead by a police officer after allegedly rushing at him with the axe.

A total of 15 hostages were taken — 14 passengers and the conductor — with the ordeal dragging on for nearly four hours, from around 6:35 pm to 10:30 pm (1735 GMT to 2130 GMT).

The suspect had forced the conductor of the train — which was stopped near Yverdon — to join the passengers, who alerted police to the situation.

Negotiations with the suspect took place in part via WhatsApp and with the help of a translator speaking Farsi, the predominant language in Iran.