Gunman, hostages die after standoff with Zurich police

A 60-year-old Swiss man apparently killed two female hostages and himself when a three-hour standoff in Zurich ended early on Friday.

Police in Switzerland's financial capital said the unnamed gunman took the women captive in a flat in the south west of the city, then kept police at bay by threatening to shoot the hostages unless the officers withdrew.

Shortly after he promised to surrender in 10 minutes, shots rang out, police said. Police officers then stormed the flat and found three critically injured people who all died at the crime scene, police added.

Prosecutors were still piecing together what happened and trying to determine the nationalities of the female victims aged 34 and 38.

Gun violence is relatively rare in Switzerland, where voters this month agreed to adopt stricter gun control.