'No indication' of terrorism found

Swiss police yesterday said there was no indication a stabbing and fire attack on a passenger train was an act of terror, as a female victim and the assailant died of their injuries.

Five other people were hurt in Saturday's assault in eastern Switzerland, including a six-year-old girl who was seriously injured.

"The question of motive remains," police in the Saint Gallen region said in a statement. "To date there is no indication this was a terrorist or politically-motivated act."

While no motives have been ruled out, the police statement should calm some of the speculation circulating since Saturday's attack, which followed several violent, often deadly assaults in Europe, many of which were claimed by the Islamic State group.

A 27-year-old Swiss national used flammable liquid to start a fire on a moving train in eastern Switzerland at about 2:20pm before stabbing passengers.

The incident took place on the line between Buchs and Sennwald near Salez station, not far from the eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria.

Police said images of the attack had been caught on surveillance footage, allowing them to determine that the man had acted alone.