One person killed and four wounded in a knife attack in Austria, police say

A 14-year-old kid died and four others were hurt in a knife assault in southern Austria on Saturday, according to police, who also detained a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker.

It happened at 16:00 local time on the main plaza of Villach, a southern town between the Italian and Slovenian borders.

"A man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife," police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told AFP of the incident in the city of Villach.

"One victim, a 14-year-old boy, died," he added.

Two other men suffered serious injuries, while another two men were lightly injured, Dionisio added.

A food delivery rider saw the attack and rammed his vehicle into the attacker, who was lightly injured and was arrested "right after the attack", according to Dionisio.

According to early information, the arrested individual is a Syrian asylum seeker with a valid residency visa and no criminal background.

The youngest victim was 14 years old, while the oldest was 32 years old, he added.

A delivery worker who drove his vehicle at the attacker helped prevent more injuries, the police spokesman told ORF, Austria's national broadcaster.

Police have not ruled out the possibility that a second attacker was involved, according to ORF.

The incident came just two days after a car-ramming attack in nearby Munich, Germany.

A two-year-old child and her mother died Saturday from injuries sustained in the attack, which also injured 37 others.

On Thursday, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker was detained on suspicion of purposefully ramming his automobile into a trade union demonstration.

Police believe he may have had Islamist extremist reasons for the crime.