Police hunt man after axe attack leaves three critically injured in Victoria
In Victoria have launched a large-scale manhunt after a man armed with an axe allegedly attacked three people at a property in Tyers, in
Police in Victoria have launched a large-scale manhunt after a man armed with an axe allegedly attacked three people at a property in Tyers, in Gippsland east of Melbourne, leaving all three with life-threatening or critical injuries. The assault happened at about 12.30pm on Saturday on Cowies Road.
Authorities say the suspect, a man in his 50s, fled on foot after the victims called emergency services to the address. The injured include an elderly man, an elderly woman and another man. The elderly male victim and the second man are expected to be airlifted to a Melbourne hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the elderly woman was taken to hospital in critical condition.
Search under way in Gippsland
Police have not said what led up to the attack. They are treating it as a violent assault and searching the area for the suspect, who was last seen wearing a mustard yellow and black jacket and carrying a black backpack.
Officers warned he may still be armed. That has sharpened the urgency of the search in a quiet part of regional Victoria, where a midday emergency call has now turned into a major police operation.
Victims rushed to hospital
The scale of the injuries has sent the case into the most serious category for local investigators. Two of the victims are expected to be moved by air to Melbourne, reflecting the severity of their wounds and the limits of regional treatment for trauma cases.
The woman’s condition is also critical. Emergency crews and hospital staff are now dealing with the immediate aftermath, while detectives work to piece together what happened inside the property on Cowies Road.
Regional violence draws wider attention
Attacks involving household weapons are rare but deeply unsettling when they break out in small communities. In Victoria, as in many parts of Australia and beyond, such incidents often trigger rapid alerts, road checks and public warnings because the suspect remains at large and the risk to bystanders stays uncertain.
Police have kept their focus on containment and capture. For residents in Tyers and nearby areas, that means staying alert as officers continue the search and try to locate the man last seen in dark clothing with the backpack.
