Belarus chainsaw and axe attack leaves one dead

A young man has attacked people with a chainsaw and an axe at a shopping centre in Belarus, killing one woman and injuring another.

Officials said the attack happened at the Europa shopping centre in the capital Minsk.

Eyewitnesses spoke of a masked man chasing terrified shoppers on Saturday evening.

Police later arrested the 18-year-old suspect. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

"When he took out a chainsaw, shoppers first thought it was some kind of game," police spokesman Alexander Lastovsky told Reuters.

"Then he cut one woman badly with the chainsaw and hit her with a hammer. She died. He also attacked others."

The injured woman was taken to a local hospital.

The attacker had brought the chainsaw and the axe to the shopping centre in a guitar case.