Several people injured in sword attack at school in Sweden

A person armed with a sword has injured several people in an attack at a school in central Sweden, authorities have said.

“An assailant armed with a sword has entered Brinellskolan [school] and wounded several people,” the Fagersta municipality said in a statement on Friday, adding that the suspect had been detained by police.

The school has some 450 students ⁠aged 16 to 20, the Reuters news agency reported.

Swedish police said in a statement that they received a call “regarding a case of ongoing deadly violence at a school in Fagersta”, confirming that one person had been taken into custody.

Police spokesman Pelle Vamstad, quoted by the TT news agency, said an alarm was received early on Friday afternoon and police rushed to the scene.

Public broadcaster SVT said ambulances, police cars and a police helicopter were outside the school in the small city of about 12,000 people.

Vamstad said authorities would be looking for camera footage that could be used in the preliminary investigation.

“Police are continuing to work ⁠at the ⁠scene with a number of different resources,” the police statement said. “The public is urged ‌to respect the roadblocks and listen to police instructions.”