Swiss banker kills colleagues

Police evacuated staff from the bank's central Zurich offices

A Swiss banker has shot two colleagues before killing himself in an attack thought to be linked to a work dispute.

Two executives, aged 45 and 41, died in hospital in Zurich after being shot in the head by the financial adviser, 56.

Police said a professional dispute could lie behind the killings, but said the gunman's motive remained unclear.

The men's employer, Zurcher Kantonalbank, said in a statement that it was "deeply shocked" by the "incomprehensible" shootings.

Police received an emergency call around 0800 local time (0600 GMT) and sealed off the area, evacuating about 80 staff from the bank's offices in central Zurich.

The gunman fired several times at the bank's chief of financial planning and the bank's head of financial advice before killing himself, Zurich city police spokesman Marco Cortesi told the Associated Press.

In September 2001 a gunman went on the rampage in a regional parliament in Zug, central Switzerland, killing 14 people before committing suicide.

Although violent crime is rare in Switzerland, gun ownership is widespread due to the obligation to carry out military service and the popularity of shooting as a sport, correspondents say.