Manhunt under way after woman dies at Swiss rave shooting

A 22-year-old woman has been killed and five people injured, some seriously, in a shooting at a rave party in the Swiss town of Aarau, local police have said.

All the victims are Swiss residents and in their 20s, police said, adding a manhunt was under way and large areas of the town had been cordoned off. They appealed to the public for any images of the incident.

One witness told Reuters that he heard shots shortly after the music stopped at 2.30am, which he initially mistook for fireworks.

Some took cover behind a DJ booth and one woman hid behind a refrigerator but was fatally shot.

"It's just incredibly tragic. She was young," the witness told Reuters. "That something like this could happen in Aarau, at a local event, is simply unimaginable. I still can't really process it."

Police said a 22-year-old woman died from her injuries at the scene. They have increased their presence beyond the town - about 50km west of Zurich - as a precaution.

Armed officers are patrolling the area while police convoys movie through the streets and armoured vehicles park near the crime scene.

The organisers' website advertised the event as a techno party at a covered horse racetrack, with 3,500 people expected to attend.

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe although violent shootings are rare and it approved tighter gun control rules in 2019.