An Afghan teenager reportedly attacked more than 20 passengers on a train with an axe during a violent rampage in Germany before he was shot dead by police.
German media reported up to 21 people were injured when the teen, also believed to be armed with a knife, attacked people on a train with "blunt and slashing" weapons near Würzburg in Bavaria.
German news outlets Spiegel and Bild reported three people were fighting for their lives following the horrific attack while a fourth person had minor injuries.
Another 14 people are said to have been treated for shock.
Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann told state television the attacker was a 17-year-old Afghan refugee.
Police said the suspect was shot dead as he attempted to flee the scene. The death has been confirmed by authorities.
According to German broadcaster ARD, the man attempted to flee from the train when passengers pulled an emergency brake.
The motive for the attack, which took place at around 9.15pm local time, remains unclear at this stage.
A heavy police presence is stationed in Würzburg where a road block is in place while the train route between Würzburg-Heidingsfeld and Ochsenfurt has been shut.
The train was on its way from the Bavarian town of Treuchtlingen to Wuerzburg, which is about 60 miles north-west of Nuremberg.
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