Sweden sword attack: 'Two dead' as police shoot masked sword-wielding man near school

Two students and a teacher are undergoing surgery following the attack

A child and a teacher have reportedly died and three others are injured after a masked man with a sword attacked a school in Trollhättan, Sweden.

Swedish police confirmed that a teacher and a student died after being attacked by the masked man.

Two students, aged 11 and 15, suffered serious wounds and are undergoing surgery.

Officials say the attaker, who was shot by police and identified as a local man in his 20s, has died.

A teacher is also being treated at hospital.

Students said they locked themselves in classrooms and cupboards to escape the attacker.

Some reports say the students initially thought the attacker was wearing a Star Wars mask and that it was a prank.

"When we first saw him, we thought it was a joke. He was wearing a mask and black clothes and [carrying] a long sword.

"Some students warned to take their picture with him and feel the sword," a student told local media.

An eyewitness told The Local: “One of my classmates’ sisters called her to warn her that there was a murderer at the school. So we locked the door to the classroom, but our teacher was still outside in the corridor.

"We wanted to warn him, so a few of us went outside and then I saw the murderer, he was wearing a mask and had a sword. Our teacher got stabbed.

"The murderer started chasing me, I ran into another classroom. If I had not run, I would have been murdered.”