Vienna temple fight injures 11

BBC.COM

At least 11 people have been injured during a fight inside a Sikh temple in the Austrian capital Vienna.

Police said five men armed with knives and another with a pistol started a fight in the temple, the BBC’s Bethany Bell reports.

The number of injured is expected to rise, a police spokeswoman said.

It is unclear what caused the fight, with reports of a feud between rival families and also of disputes with worshippers at other Sikh temples.

Preacher ‘attacked’

All six of the armed men were severely injured in the incident and were taken to hospital where they were arrested, our correspondent says.

 

One report said the men were extremists who disagreed with the teachings of the preacher.

He was named as Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha by the Austrian Press Agency.

The six armed men apparently attacked him, prompting his supporters to rush to his aid.

Other people may have been less seriously hurt but ran from the building before emergency services arrived, authorities said.

The temple is situated in Vienna-Rudolfsheim, in the 15th district of the capital.

It is estimated that fewer than 3,000 Sikhs live in Austria.