Shireroth

Gun attack targets Finnish school

A gunman has been disarmed after opening fire at a catering college in western Finland, police say.

There were fears of injuries and possible deaths after the gunman - said to be carrying an automatic weapon - entered the college in Kauhajoki.

Finnish broadcaster YLE said he was thought to be a 22-year-old student.

Last November a student shot dead eight people at a school in Tuusula. The level of gun ownership in Finland is among the highest in the world.

A BBC correspondent in Finland said a gunman dressed in black was seen at the school, apparently carrying an automatic weapon.

Police ordered an evacuation and called for reinforcements.

Ski mask

The gunman remained at large within the college grounds for some time before police apparently restrained and disarmed him.

"I just heard from the police radio that the shooter has been caught. He no longer has a gun," a police spokesman told the AFP news agency.

There were reports of a fire at the site and of at least one injured girl leaving the school covered in blood, our correspondent says.

Jukka Forsberg, a maintenance worker at the school, told YLE that several people had been injured.

A man with a ski mask was seen entering the building with a large bag, YLE reported. Soon after, the worker heard shots fired.

At least five police squads were sent to the scene, YLE said.